


Through Silent Words

by Loralysna



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bullying, Friendship, Gen, Original Character(s), Selective Mute Main Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-09-22 16:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9616388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loralysna/pseuds/Loralysna
Summary: A look through the eyes of a young Slytherin girl as she struggles through her first year at Hogwarts. Bullied at first for being mute, will she find her place in Slytherin? Will she be able to make real friends? Take a look at what life would be like for a background Slytherin. OFC, Extremely slow friendship with Draco Malfoy, with several other characters popping in now and again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N: Selene has Selective Mutism. She CAN talk but in most situations she simply does not. This is especially true in public or any situations of high stress or anxiety. So for the ease of reading. "" is speech, Italics is anything written, and ** is sign language. I do not know how to sign and I have only limited experience with Selective Mutism. If I get things wrong, I apologize and don't mean to offend. This is my first fanfiction, please be honest in your reviews. Thank you and enjoy reading.) 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan-fiction. Harry Potter and all related characters and places belong to the lovely J. K. Rowling. I only own a small handful of OCs.

Chapter 1

Frederick Connelly was enjoying his tea while he patiently waited for his daughter Selene to come downstairs. His shoulder length red hair was unkempt and there was a hole in the shoulder of his blue robe. It was a beautiful morning. A pleasant breeze blew through the open window, carrying with it the birds' morning song. He glanced at the picture on the mantle above the fireplace. A beautiful woman with raven black hair and ice blue eyes was laughing and pointing at something out of frame. Like many of the pictures in the house this one moved and would occasionally smile and wave at those who looked at it. With a sigh and a slightly sad smile Frederick began speaking softly to the picture, as if the woman could really hear him.

"It's finally time, Kelly. I'm a little worried how things will go…but if anyone can make it work out, she can. I was worried in the beginning. After we lost you…when she just stopped talking, I didn't know what to do. I used to get so frustrated…wishing she would say something, anything. I kept waiting for her to yell or scream. To rage at the loss of her mother, to cry and break things, just like I felt like doing. But no, she just went quiet. I blame you for that, you know. You almost always reacted in a way that was surprising to me. So when she stopped talking, I didn't know what to do. I waited and then, when I got tired of waiting, I tried pushing her to talk. But she would just shake her head no…no…and when I saw her tears I realized she was hurting too. She was hurting, just as I was hurting. We both missed you so much, we simply showed it in different ways. And as time passed, we found other ways for her to communicate. She learned how to sign words with her hands. She learned so fast she ended up giving me extra lessons!" he chuckled. "I'm not sure how she will cope with leaning spells, but there is no denying her magic. Why, just last night she somehow managed to summon the biscuits off the top shelf when I sent her to bed with no dessert! Luckily, I caught them before they made it down the hall." He smiled lovingly, "I see so much of you in her. You would be proud of how she has grown. I just hope she is able to progress in Hogwarts. She wants to make you proud, and going to the same school we did seems important to her."

Just then Selene came staggering into the kitchen, blearily wiping sleep from her eyes. Her waist length hair was the same blue-black as a raven's wings, and she had the same ice blue eyes as her mother. Black dressing robe untied with a shirt declaring in bold letters _The Singing Sorceress_ showing through. She flopped onto a seat at the table and smiled at her dad when he poured her a fresh cup of tea.

"Morning, Star-shine." Frederick said. He rose and gathered a plate of food from the counter, canceling the warming charm left on it with a simple flick of his wand. He slid the plate in front of Selene and then proceeded to make another pot of tea. "I know you just got up, but did you think about why I sent you to bed early last night?" he looked up to see her nod her head yes. "And do you have anything to say after what happened yesterday?" he asked sternly.

*I'm sorry, Father.* Selene signed. *I shouldn't have taken Darcy out flying yesterday by myself. You asked me to wait until you were done with your potions work for the day but I was too impatient. I promise to think more about my actions before making decisions in the future*

"Why does that just sound like you are promising to be sneakier and not get caught?" Frederick grumbled as he sat back down at the table. Selene just smirked at him and continued eating. "Anyway, you should probably hurry up with your breakfast. We have a busy day today."

Selene tilted her head to the side questioningly, *Why? I thought we were just going to work in the gardens today.*

"Well we could do that, but I rather thought you might want to go with me to Diagon Alley. I have to drop off a shipment to Mr. Jiggs at the apothecary. He owled this morning to say he was low on bicorn horn and tentacula leaves. You know how important it is he stay well stocked this close to the start of school term." Frederick noticed how disappointed Selene looked at the mention of school. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "There is something else we need to talk about first though. Your acceptance letter from Hogwarts came with the post this morning." Selene's fork clattered to her plate, her face showing nothing but shock. Frederick continued, "I know we get on well enough here, but you understand most people don't know sign language."

Selene nodded and hastily pulled out a small notebook from her robe pocket. She tapped it slightly with her other hand.

"That will work for some things, but much of the school curriculum is based off verbal spells." He paused when he realized Selene was frowning at him but then rushed on to say, "I'm sure you will do great in Herbology and Potions, you already know so much from helping me out here. I'm just worried for how you might handle your other classwork.

Selene crossed her arms and stared at her dad for a few moments before sighing *I want to try. I want to go to school like you and Mom. I will just have to work hard and find a way. If I can't keep up…then I guess I will come back home and learn what I can from you. But, I have to try.*

Frederick thought a moment and then smiled, handing over the acceptance letter, "Your mom believed anything was possible, and hated to be told she couldn't do something. If you are determined to make things work, then I'm sure you will find a way."

Selene ripped open the letter, reading the first few lines rapidly:

_Dear Miss Connelly,_

_We are pleased to inform you, you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_

Selene jumped up, knocking her chair over in her haste to get around to her father's side. She hugged him tightly and when she stepped back she had a huge grin on her face. *You really mean it? You are letting me go?*

He ruffled her hair affectionately and laughed, "Yes, you can go. Now hurry and get ready. We leave in half an hour."

Selene clapped her hands in excitement before speeding off to go get dressed for the day. A door slammed upstairs and Frederick shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. He walked over to the mantle and picked up the picture of his wife Kelly. "I will write Headmaster Dumbledore later to thank him for allowing her to attend, knowing her circumstances. Seeing how happy she is to even be allowed to try to attend…it makes it all worth the risk." He kissed the frame gently, placed it back on the mantle, and walked off with a wave. "This leaves me just enough time to get dressed and talk to Zooby about what I need packed. Good thing no one requested anything that needs brewing today."

Half an hour later, Frederick was waiting by the front door. He looked very different from how he was at breakfast. Dressed in well pressed slacks, white button down shirt and a steel grey vest, he looked every bit like the stark business man. He pulled a silver pocket watch out and checked the time, closing it with a soft click. "Star-shine! Let's go. We can't be late!" he yelled. He heard Selene as she practically ran down the spiral staircase into the main living room. She was dressed in a full floor-length skirt, a soft white poet shirt with a cream colored vest that matched her skirt. Her hair was brushed to a shine and her eyes nearly sparkled with her excitement. She came to a stop and did a little spin before looking as him questioningly. "Yes, you look beautiful. Now, do you have your supplies list?" he asked. She tapped a small bag at her side with a smile and he continued, "Good, then we can go." He reached towards the door but was stopped by Selene's hand on his elbow. "What? Am I forgetting something?"

Selene nodded, then snapped her fingers twice. There was a soft pop and a house elf appeared. She was dressed in a uniform made from black tea towels tied in a toga-like fashion, a large green "C" was embroidered into the front. "Young Miss needs Tinsel?" the house elf asked in a high, squeaky voice. Selene made a few quick signs. "Yes, Young Miss! Tinsel will be right back." And before you would say "butterbeer" she was back with a set of black over-robes and a dark green ribbon.

"Now really! Must I wear those? It's warm out today and those robes always make me itch." Frederick asked, and no he most definitely was not whining at all. Selene simply handed him the robes and pointed down towards the floor. Frederick sighed and knelt down, shrugging on the robes as he did so. "I never should have taught you about Pureblood customs." He grumbled as she tied his hair back with the ribbon. "Bloody inconvenient is what they are."

*You know certain clients respond better when you follow the customs. You taught me how wearing the mask and playing the Game has its benefits.* Selene signed to her father, then turned to thank Tinsel.

As if on some unheard cue, another house elf appeared with a much louder POP. "Master and Young Miss will be late." the wizened looking elf said in a gravelly voice. "Zooby has packed what Master required. Zooby wishes Master and Young Miss safe travel." He tossed the case towards Frederick, who caught it with a practiced ease. "Zooby must go add fertilizer to Greenhouse Four." with that he bowed and then vanished with another POP.

Tinsel shook her head with a fond smile and started ushering them out the door. "Master and Young Miss be almost late. They has lots to do and buy. Tinsel must get started on the draperies. Tinsel wishes Master and Young Miss safe travels." and she shut the door on them.

"I blame you. If you didn't indulge them so often I wouldn't have such willful servants. I'm probably the only master to be bossed around by his own house-elves." Frederick grumbled. Selene just smiled at him and took his hand. "Yes, I know…we wouldn't want them any other way." He walked with her quickly, across the grounds until they passed through the gate. He checked his watch one more time. "Ok. Mr. Jiggs is expecting us in 30 seconds. You ready?" Selene nodded and hugged her father tightly. "Don't let go." he warned. One second they were standing outside the gate to their home, the next they appeared in a small room in the back of Slug and Jiggers Apothecary.

Mr. Jiggs was standing in the doorway. "Punctual as ever Mr. Connelly. And you brought your daughter along this time too! How lovely." He was a portly and balding man with greasy skin and a nasally voice. Selene did not like the man…not that she would ever show it of course. He was a valued client of her father's. Mr. Jiggs leaned down in front of her and spoke in a ridiculously loud voice. "How are you today?! Good?!"

Selene just smiled sweetly and walked past him. She went to stand outside the shop while her dad conducted his business. She hated that shop. It smelled like bad eggs and rotten cabbaged mixed. The greenhouses and storage areas at home never smelled that bad. But Slug and Jiggers were solid, constant clients who always paid fair for the ingredients her father sold them, so she couldn't really complain.

Diagon Alley was teaming with people. Families were out in mass trying to get all the shopping done for the start of the next school term. Parents yelled after their kids, who ran ahead in all the excitement, darting from the window of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, to Quality Quidditch Supplies, or darting into Gambol and Japes to stock up on prank supplies. It was chaos. Stall venders shouting out their wares, trying to attract buyers. Depending on which way the wind blew, you could either smell the rotten smell of the Apothecary, or warm bread from the Leaky Cauldron down the street, or any number of other fragrances coming from one of the stalls. Over it all was the hum of many voices raised in excitement.

A bell jingled and her father stepped out of the store, quickly shrinking his case and tucking it into one of his many coat pockets. "Well, that's done. And he gave us such a fair payment that we don't even have to stop at Gringotts." he said with a smile. "So how about we get out that list and work our way down the street?" he paused and looked around. "No telling who we might meet today. Looks like everyone is out." He took a deep breath and stood a little taller. "Shall we play the Game?" Selene nodded, straightened her shoulders and lifted her head a little higher. Frederick couldn't resist leaning down to whisper, "But when we get home, we relax and get out of these stuffy clothes. We can have dinner and celebrate you getting accepted properly, ok?"

Again Selene nodded and would have looked bored to anyone who didn't notice the mirth in her eyes. *You just want an excuse to be lazy the rest of the day instead of working.*

Frederick huffed softly before straightening back up. He set off down the street, walking with measured steps. Seeing him walking with such purpose naturally made people step to the side as they approached. Selene allowed a small smirk as she followed in her father's wake. This was all part of the Game. All Purebloods were masters of it. Any politician or serious business man also knew the Game. It was moves and counter-moves. A constant dance between speaking one thing and meaning another. Demanding respect and giving respect when it was due. Knowing when your partner outranked you and trying to outplay their hand. The Connelly family may not have been part of the "Sacred Twenty-eight" pureblood families, but they had been well respected as purveyors of some of the finest quality potions ingredients (both plant and animal based) for 15 generations. They had earned their place of respect as strong businessmen; when out in public Frederick had taught Selene the proper customs and traditions to use when playing the Game. Personally he was often annoyed by it, which is why at home they allowed tradition to drop and just be themselves. After four years of coaching and lessons, Selene was proud to say she had learned the proper customs…she might even say she followed them better than her father (he would probably agree).

The morning went by very quickly and with little incident. Selene was thrilled when her wand chose her (a beautiful but simple pear wood wand with a gold filigree handle, unicorn hair core, twelve inches), and felt like a princess when being fitted for her school robes. At Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, they picked up her new telescope and a set of brass scales. While they were there they also found a beautiful solid oak trunk that would switch between 5 separate storage spaces with just a tap of your wand and responded only to your personal magical signature once set (guaranteed to last all your years at Hogwarts and beyond or your money back). At Florish and Blotts they purchased a full set of first year course books and found a book called _Spell Me Speechless: A Comprehensive Guide to Nonverbal Casting_ that looked helpful.

It was well past lunch when they walked into their final stop at Eeylops Owl Emporium. It was only dimly lit and all around were the sounds of wings rustling and the soft hooting of the many owls of the shop. At the counter, a very aristocratic looking man stood with his son. They were obviously in the process of buying a very large eagle owl. At the sound of the shop door opening, they had turned to see who was walking in. The Connelly's paused only long enough for their eyes to adjust before Frederick led the way to greet a person who could only be Lucius Malfoy. "Lord Malfoy, pleasure to see you here. I sent the ingredients you requested by owl this morning. I trust you found them satisfactory?" Frederick asked in a polite yet confident voice.

"They were adequate, Mr. Connelly. I needed them for Draco's school supplies. He is starting Hogwarts this year." Mr. Malfoy said. He somehow managed to sound appreciative yet superior all at the same time.

"This is my daughter, Selene. She will be starting this year as well." Frederick gestured toward Selene, who gave a slight bow of her head, smiled and made a few quick signs. "She says it is a pleasure to meet you Lord Malfoy and Draco." Frederick translated swiftly.

"Indeed." Mr. Malfoy said, his face looked somewhat pinched. He studied Selene for a moment before turning back towards her father. "It's surprising to me that you would allow such a…precious…daughter to go to Hogwarts. Surely some other school might be a better fit?" he drawled.

Selene made sure to keep her face a mix of boredom and polite smiling, even though on the inside she was outraged.

Mr. Malfoy continued as if he was talking about something as bland as the weather "I originally wanted to send Draco to Durmstrang but Lady Malfoy could not bear it if he was so far away. I suppose you wouldn't have to worry about dealing with a mother's instincts though." He tossed some Galleons on the counter and grabbed the eagle owl's cage. "Say goodbye to the Connelly's, Draco." He strolled out of the shop without a backwards glance.

Draco, the pale, pointy faced boy who had been looking at Selene with a curious expression said, "Maybe I will see you at school? Goodbye, Mr. Connelly." and then rushed out after his father.

Frederick let out a slow breath, waving in response to the shopkeeper asking if they needed any help. He looked at Selene and raised one eyebrow, silently asking if she was alright. She nodded and then began to look around the shop. There were owls of all shapes and sizes, several small elf owls, a few large eagle owls, and even one gorgeous snowy owl. She continued to make her way around the shop, studying the different types of owls carefully. A loud screech combined with a whistle came from a back corner, drawing her attention. A single cage set slightly apart from the others with a sign reading _I BITE_. In the cage was a larger than usual barn owl. When it noticed her approach it shuffled forward, raising its wings and bobbing its head. It let out an almost continuous hiss, doing its best to look menacing.

"Be careful miss, that one has a temper." The shopkeeper called.

Selene took another step towards the cage and smiled. The barn owl hissed some more, flapping its' wings, and then screeched. Selene tilted her head and put a few fingers into the cage. She smiled reassuringly and kept her gaze locked with the owl. The owl shrieked and darted forward as if to bite but Selene didn't move. This seemed to confuse the owl, who immediately stopped hissing and tiled its head one way and then the other (as if looking at the situation upside down would make more sense). After a short time it gave a small chirrup and bowed its head, allowing Selene to pet it. Selene smiled and looked back at her father.

"We will take that one." Frederick said to the stunned shopkeeper. "The cage, some feed and treats, and any other supplies you might recommend as well, please."

"You don't even pay me for that bird. Hatched him myself and he has never taken to anyone like that, including me! He is meant to go with that little lady. Just pay me for the rest and take that pesky bird out of here." The shopkeeper said, still looking stunned.

A short time and a wild ride on the Knight bus later, the Connellys breathed a sigh of relief to be standing outside the gate to their estate. The newly named "Heckle" ruffled his feathers and nipped at the bars to his cage, clearly anxious to be freed after such a harrowing ride. Frederick laughed, "Well, go show him where he can stay in the barn and introduce him to Zooby and my owl Bubo. Then come wash up for dinner. You can pack your trunk properly later."

Selene nodded, sat Heckle's cage down and opened the latch. Heckle took the sky with a victorious screech, circling overhead while he waited for his new mistress. Selene turned, hugged her father close, and then whispered "Thank you." She gathered her skirts and started running towards the barn. Heckle began darting and diving around her and Selene laughed with joy.

Frederick smiled a soft, slightly sad smile at Tinsel who had appeared to take the packages to Selene's room. "Tinsel is happy to hear Young Miss laugh. Master and Young Miss must have had a good day." she said softly, then vanished with the packages with a simple snap of her fingers.

Frederick walking into the house, shedding the more "itchy" layers of clothing as he went. In his private study, he poured himself a shot of firewhiskey and sat in the chair behind his desk. On the corner of this desk was another picture of Kelly. In this one she was curled up on a couch in front of a fire, reading a book. She would look up every so often and smile before continuing her reading. "She laughed and even talked to me a little today, Kelly." Frederick whispered. "Even after all the stress of the day and Malfoy insulting her, she still felt good enough to laugh out loud and whisper to me. It's so rare to hear even that much from her." tears fell from his eyes and he took a bracing sip of the firewhiskey. "Maybe her going to Hogwarts will be a really good thing. Maybe it can help her heal in a way I couldn't. Maybe making friends will let her laugh more. Even if she still never speaks in public…if this can make her relaxed and happy enough at home…I will do everything in my power to make it work."


	2. Chapter 2

Several weeks had passed since the shopping trip to Diagon Alley. Selene had been working very hard to learn certain spells that might help her while she was at school. Her father had been tutoring her with anything he thought might help. This led to several tearful moments of frustration. Casting non-verbal spells took a lot of practice and a strong mental focus, as such it was mentally exhausting. After one particularly nasty meltdown, during which every window in the house shattered, they decided to practice outside. Thanks to suggestions from the book _Spell Me Speechless,_ Selene added meditation to her daily routine. After 5 days of trying this new method Selene finally made progress and was able to cast "Flagrate" which allowed her to write in the air with her wand forming her words in a fiery blaze. Having a clear focused mind and understanding the theory behind the spell seemed to be the key to helping her cast properly. After that victory, she learned a few other simple spells. It took her longer than she expected to learn the spells but her father repeatedly assured her it was normal.

*What if I can't keep up? It took me two weeks to learn that first spell!* Selene signed frantically. They were getting ready to leave for King's Cross Station when she began to panic. *Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe…*

Frederick grabbed her hands and pulled her in for a tight hug. "It took you so long to master each spell because you are casting non-verbally. We talked about this, what you are doing is very advanced casting." He held her at arm's reach so he could look at her face. "You are a very strong and powerful young witch. You have just as much right to attend Hogwarts as anyone else. It won't be easy. If you truly don't want to go, I would be happy to teach you here at home…but is that really what you want?"

Selene hesitated a moment, took a deep breath, and shook her head, *No.*

"Well then, let's go." Frederick said. He clasped her hand comfortingly and led the way out of the house. Before long they had passed through the barrier between platforms Nine and Ten, and were now standing near a sign that read _Platform 9 ¾._ A very large, very red train with the words _Hogwarts Express_ painted on the side was waiting. Train attendants were already guiding people to board. People were walking first one way and then another. Children were shouting and waving, happy to see their friends as well as saying goodbye to their families. The Connellys nodded a greeting to the Malfoy family, who were on the other side of the platform. Mr. Malfoy nodded in return, but put a hand on Draco's shoulder, clearly stopping him from approaching. Heckle screeched and flapped his wings, very unhappy about his cage being jostled for the third time. The train whistled shrilly, warning that the time for departure was near. Frederick hugged Selene one last time and whispered into her ear "I'm so proud of you. I'm sure you will do fine. You'll write to tell me everything, won't you?"

Selene hugged him tighter in response as the train gave its shrill warning one more time. There was not enough time to discuss anything else. Children of all ages made a mad scramble to get on the train. Parents yelled last minute warnings of "Be good!" or "Study hard!" and even "For heaven's sake Ron! Take care of your rat!" Selene found an empty compartment in the next to the last train car and waved goodbye to her dad through the window. She was struggling to get her trunk up onto the luggage rack when the train gave a mighty lurch, causing her to lose her grip.

"Watch it!" someone yelled and braced the trunk before it fell. It was a boy who looked to be about the same age as Selene. He had brown hair and blue eyes; if you looked close enough you could tell the lashes over one eye held no color. "Are you ok?" he asked. Selene nodded in response. "That'll be my third concussion today. Don't like those, I get queasy…anyway, hold this here and I will help you pull it up." Selene quickly reached to steady the trunk and the boy climbed swiftly up to the luggage rack. With a count of three and each child pushing and pulling respectively, the trunk was finally in place. The boy jumped down and held out a hand, "Hi! I'm Oliver Rivers. You mind if I sit here?"

Selene shook his hand and then gestured for him to sit. *I'm Selene*, she signed before remembering and getting out her small notebook from her pocket. _My name is Selene Connelly. Thank you for helping me._ She wrote, then turned the notebook so he could read it easily.

He nodded. "Not a talker? I know you heard me earlier, so I'm going to assume you aren't deaf…That's ok, I can talk enough for the both of us! Unless you want me to shut up. Then you can pinch me or something." He pulled a few pieces of candy out of his pocket and offered some to Selene. "I know you probably said something with your hands…but I didn't understand it. Could you teach me?"

Selene cautiously tried one of the candies. She assumed it was some kind of muggle candy since she didn't recognize it. It was sweet, with a hard shell, but when she bit into it she discovered it had chewy toffee in the center. She smiled then wrote, _There are many things to learn about signing, but I could show you some simple things to start with. It's surprising you want to learn. Most people I've met wouldn't want to take the time._

"Most people are happy being idiots. I like to learn things, especially if they are fun or useful. Signing looks like both." He popped a candy into his mouth and then folded the papers neatly, putting the leftover candy and paper into separate pockets. He glanced out the window and around the compartment before looking back towards Selene. "Trains smell funny." He observed out loud.

Selene smiled wide, a small laugh escaping her in a huff of breath. She pointed at Heckle, who looked very disgruntled about not being let out of his cage. _I think my bird Heckle might agree with you. He does not like being cooped up. Anyway I signed my first name earlier._ She let him read then waved her hands to get his attention. *Selene* she repeated slowly for him.

He smiled wide at the owl and then copied her movements, slower and clumsily, including the wave. "When I was shown through Diagon Alley, I wanted a bat but my parents said no. Shame really, bats are like little dragon-hamsters! Maybe I can convince them next year. Owls are pretty though. The one you've got is a beauty! Bit big…"

Selene tilted her head slightly, _I've never given bats much thought. We have them in our barn at home occasionally. Heckle is a bit grumpy but I'm very glad to have him. Copy my sign again, this time without the wave, and you will have my name properly._ She signed her name again, going very slowly so he could copy her movements easier.

His imitation went a bit smoother, though he lacked the grace that came with practice. "That right?" he checked.

Selene nodded. _Yes, and this is: How are you?_ She made the signs very slow, pausing to let him attempt it before nodding and then guiding him through it again.

He continued copying, doing each sign several times while mouthing the words. He looked at the owl again, "Did you know birds have air sacks, not just lungs? No diaphragms though…"

_I didn't know that._ She paused before continuing. _You mentioned being shown Diagon Alley. Are you muggleborn then? Are you the only wizard in your family?_

"Yeah, I guess. I think my aunt's cat could be magic...but then again, I think all cats are probably magic. That thing always opens the door if anyone's in the loo." Oliver explained, then nervously picked at his fingernails. "I heard some wizards think that's bad though, being from non-magic family." He brightened, forcing a smile. "That's okay, though. I think being a numpty is bad but there's plenty of those walking about with no trouble."

Selene studied Oliver carefully for a moment. She thought about his odd way of stating random facts, and she honestly had no idea what to make of his shirt…it had some sort of metal machine pictured on it with the word EXTERMINATE in a bold print. She noticed his nervous habit and thought about how friendly he had been towards her. She frowned. _Some of the old families have issues with muggleborns. But there are many people who do not. I think it's great. We can't all be the same. My dad says "diversity makes things stronger. Rotating the stock can lead to newer and better things" of course, he was talking about the old plants in our greenhouses, but I think the idea works just as well in this situation._ She took out her wand and tapped it to her trunk, opening the third compartment. After standing on the seat and a bit of stretching, she plopped back down. Her copy of _1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi_ was thrust victoriously towards Oliver. _There are many different plants, several of which are hybrids only bred during the last few centuries. All have their use. It's the same with people._ She scrawled hastily.

Oliver fumbled with the book a bit, surprised to suddenly have it. He managed not to drop it and skimmed through, squinting at the text. Inwardly, he was relieved his new friend had no issue with his blood status. The muggle children at his previous school hadn't liked him much. He didn't want to go through magic school friendless as well. He stopped at a sketch of a mandrake, his face broke into a large smile, and he let out a squeal as he turned the book around to show Selene the page. "It's an ugly baby!" He cheered.

His sudden enthusiasm surprised Selene so much that she laughed out loud. A huge grin on her face she nodded and tapped a hand to her chest once and then touched her temple.

Oliver looked up at the laugh, shocked out of his own words for a moment, but he brushed it off. It was her voice. She could use it as much or as little as she liked. At least now he knew she had the option and wasn't forced to be silent. He decided to read aloud the passage on mandrakes, though he substituted their true name to "ugly carrot baby", "rubbage-boy-stinkmans" and, on one occasion, simply "Doug".

The rest of the train ride passed much in this same way. Oliver would read out loud, giving certain entries funny names. Selene would write notes of any tips she had learned from her dad that were not mentioned in the standard text. When the witch with the snack trolley came by, Selene bought some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans for them to share and enjoy. At one point a girl with very bushy brown hair stuck her head through the door and asked them if they had seen a toad recently. She was trying to help a boy name Neville find his lost pet. Two red-haired twins passed by some time later saying something about a tarantula, and even later they heard yelling and what sounded like three people ran by their door. Overall it sounded very hectic in the corridors and both Selene and Oliver were very happy to stay in their own compartment. When the train finally stopped, Oliver dashed out, excitedly yelling, "Come on! We're here!"

Alone in the compartment, Selene took a big steadying breath, made sure her robes were laying properly and gave Heckle an affectionate pet. "You'll be let out soon." She whispered. Heckle nipped at her fingers through the bars of his cage, causing her to smile. Leaving the train, she realized she had lost sight of Oliver.

However, she could not miss the sight of a large, shaggy-haired man who stood a full head and shoulders over the crowd. "Firs' years! Firs' years, come this way!" the large man called in a booming voice.

Selene forced herself to walk over calmly, even though she was so excited she wanted to run. She spotted Oliver at the back of the gathered group and tapped him on the shoulder to let him know she was there.

The large man continued in a loud booming voice. "Firs' years follow me! Stay close and don't wander off."

Selene followed along with the group, her hands clenched into fists. This was it. She had finally made it to Hogwarts! They walked down a steep, narrow path. It was very dark by now and the tall trees on either side of the path made it so you could not see very far, no matter which direction you looked. Everyone gasped and exclaimed in delight as the path opened up and they got their first view of Hogwarts. They were standing on the edge of a huge, black lake, the water was so still it looked like glass. On the far side of the lake stood a massive castle, with many towers that seemed to reach almost impossibly high. It was a stunning sight, the castle almost sparkling with lights shining from every window. Following their guide's instructions the new students climbed into the boats waiting at the edge of the shore. Selene was joined by Oliver and a girl with wild blond curls piled onto her head who was lifted, by the large man, into the boat. Oliver introduced himself and chatted nervously with the new girl while waiting for everyone to be in their boats. Finally, the tiny fleet of boats moved as one, gliding across the mirror-like lake. Eventually they reached the other side or the lake and several students stumbled as they stepped out onto the rocky shore.

"You there, this yer toad?" the large man asked, picking up the poor creature from beside one of the boats.

"Oh! Trevor!" a round faced boy exclaimed and hastily grabbed the toad with a mumbled "Thanks."

They followed the man up a large flight of stone steps to the front door of the castle. He knocked on the door, the sound echoing in the quiet night. The door's swung open to reveal a very tall, stern looking witch with black hair.

"Brought the Firs' years, Professor McGonagall" the large man announced.

"Thank you, Hagrid." Professor McGonagall said, and opened the door wide to lead them into a large entrance hall. The student's followed her, huddling together, unsure of what to do. Many voices could be heard from behind a large closed door to the right, but the Professor led them to a small chamber off the hall. "You will be sorted into your Houses momentarily. This is very important because while you are here your House will be something like your family. There are four Houses. They are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Your triumphs will earn you points, break the rules, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. I hope each of you will do proud whichever House becomes yours. The sorting will take place in front of the rest of the school in just a few minutes. I suggest you all take this time to tidy yourselves up as much as you can. I shall return to escort you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." she said before turning and leaving the chamber at a brisk walk.

"What do you do at the Sorting?" Oliver asked quietly. Selene could only shrug. Her father had never told her, he had only said she didn't need to worry. She reached over to straighten his tie for him. "Thanks." He said, nervously.

The small girl who had shared a boat with them, leaned around Oliver. "Hello. Sorry I forgot to introduce myself back there." she said, blushing slightly. "Kind of...lost in the moment. I'm Clare." she continued, holding out a hand for Selene to shake.

"Oh, she doesn't talk." Oliver stated, trying unsuccessfully to straighten the sleeves of his robes. "Her name is Selene Connelly." he added, helpfully.

Selene reached out and shook the offered hand with a small smile. She noticed Clare's robes were hanging off center over her frame. She reached to straighten them but stopped with her head tilted before actually touching the girl. She pointed to herself with one hand and then gestured again to straighten the other girl's robes, waiting to see if she would mind.

"Oh, yeah sure," she nodded giving her hair a quick brush through with her fingers.

Selene helped her straighten her robes and then quickly pulled her notebook out. _What about the sorting? Which house do you both think you want to be in?_

Oliver shrugged. "Maybe Ravenclaw? Being in a house of smart birds and other people of the like can't be too bad."

"Honestly," Clare started adjusting her collar to be more comfy, "They all seem nice? Kind of odd to be sorted into houses with those traits you know? What if you had all of them? Or maybe… none of them?"

_I think it's supposed to help you make friends easier…_ Selene had honestly never thought of it as odd before. It was just how things were done. _I'm not sure myself. Dad was Ravenclaw and my mom was Gryffindor. All have good parts I think._

Clare nodded, "I just hope we don't get sorted wrong I guess, would hate not belong to this new family too," she digressed.

The sound of heels on stone was sharp as Professor McGonagall walked back into the room, interrupting any conversation that had been going on. "We're ready for you now. Follow me and don't dawdle." She said briskly. She led them out or the chamber and to the large doors they had passed earlier. They swung open at their approach and the voices of the older students of the school washed over them. They walked into a great hall. Thousands of candles floated above 4 long tables that spanned the length of the room. The high ceiling seemed to reflect the stars from the night sky outside. The sight was absolutely breathtaking. The students at these tables were all joking amongst each other or trying to get a better look at the first year students. A fifth long table sat at one end of the room, facing the other four, where it appeared the teachers sat. Professor McGonagall led them to stand in front of this last table. She placed a small stool with a tattered old pointed hat to one side and then stepped back as it began to sing. It was a song describing the traits that each of the Houses favored.

The hall erupted into cheers and polite applause as it finished its song. When the applause died down Professor McGonagall stepped to the side, faced the students and unrolled a scroll. "When I call your name, step up quickly to sit on the stool and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head. After you have been sorted, go sit with your new House." A girl named "Abbott, Hannah" was the first to be sorted. She walked up to the stool, the hat was placed on her head, and after only a few seconds the hat shouted out HUFFLEPUFF! The girl jumped up quickly and went to join her new housemates, who were cheering warmly for her. A few more people were sorted before "Connelly, Selene" was called.

For a split second Selene was too scared to move, but someone nudged her slightly and snapped her out of it. She walked up towards the stool, head raised in a mask of pride, and sat. The brim of the hat settled down over her eyes and she heard a voice in her head **(Hmmm, an appreciation for knowledge and lots of talent, ooooo what's this? A strong will to earn your place…better be…) SLYTHERIN!** The last word was shouted out to the waiting crowd. The hat was pulled from her head and she walked briskly to join her own housemates at the table where they were all politely clapping. It was not as warm a welcome as say Hufflepuff house, or as loud as Gryffindor house, but several of the older students smiled and nodded to her in welcome. She took a moment to arrange her skirts and robes and watched the rest of the sorting with interest. As "Granger, Hermione" was sorted into Gryffindor, Selene caught herself thinking of what the Sorting Hat had said. She wondered if it said similar things to everyone who got sorted. "O'Hare, Clare", the girl Selene had shared a boat with and who had talked with her and Oliver earlier walked to try on the hat and, after a few moments pause, was sorted into Hufflepuff and then found her seat. "Malfoy, Draco" was sorted into Slytherin almost before the hat even touched his head. He sat with a smirk across from her, filling the gap between two large boys who had been sorted earlier. He nodded to her in greeting, but then promptly ignored her to watch the rest of the sorting.

Murmuring and whispers rippled through the crowd when "Potter, Harry" was called. Selene looked on in shock as a small, black haired boy took his turn with the hat. Her father had not warned her that the Boy-Who-Lived would be in her year. It seemed to take much longer than usual for the hat to decide where to put him. Professor McGonagall's mouth seemed to tighten in a tense expression and many of the teachers had leaned forward anxiously. Finally the hat yelled out GRYFFINDOR! And the Gryffindor house table practically roared in victory. The entire table was standing and cheering, patting the boy on the back and trying to shake his hand. The red-haired twins Selene had seen earlier on the train were standing up on the bench doing a little victory dance "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" they chanted. It was several minutes before the school was calm enough for the sorting to continue.

Selene was momentarily sad when her new friend Oliver was sorted into Ravenclaw, but after greeting those at his table he turned and waved at her. She smiled back, glad she could still count on him as a friend. The sorting was soon over, with "Zabini, Blaise" being the last to join Slytherin table. Professor McGonagall carried the Sorting Hat and stool away before taking her seat at the head table. An old wizard with a long white beard, stood and the hall fell quiet. Selene recognized that this must be Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Her father had told her about him. He was smiling widely at the students, his arms open wide in welcome. "Welcome to a new year, here at Hogwarts. I'm sure you are all hungry, but before we begin our banquet, I just want to say a few words…Nitwit. Blubber. Oddment. Tweak. Thank you!" he said before sitting down to a loud round of applause.

Sounds of relief and appreciation were heard from every student as suddenly all the gold plates on the table were filled with food. All along the table were foods of all types, some of which Selene wasn't quite sure what they were called. Conversation began as everyone served themselves and started to eat. Selene used this time to observe her housemates without attracting too much attention.

"I knew I would be sorted into Slytherin. Father would accept nothing less." Malfoy drawled confidently. "I will have to write mother and tell her the good news in the morning." His blond hair was slicked back, making his face seem even more pointed than Selene remembered. He looked very smug and pleased with himself. He was more or less ignoring Crabbe and Goyle who sat on either side of him. Both boys were rather larger than the other first years and seemed to be in competition with each other about who could eat the most.

"Don't be obnoxious, Draco. No one is ever guaranteed to be in a certain house." Zabini said, sounding distinctly unimpressed. "Well, except perhaps the Weasleys. Whole bloody lot of them are in the same house." Zabini was tall and dark skinned, his eyes slightly slanted.

Pansy Parkinson, a dark haired girl with an upturned nose was speaking to Daphne Greengrass and Sally Smith about some sort of new hair tonic that completely got rid of frizz. Millicent Bulstrode, a stocky girl with an annoyed look on her face was at the end of the table, whispering to Theodore Nott, a very thin boy with sallow looking skin and a slight sneer on his face.

It was obvious that most of the first year Slytherins knew each other, which put Selene at a very big disadvantage. She recognized several of the names from her father's list of private clients, which meant they were either from very old pure-blooded families, or else very rich…possibly both. She would have to be very careful here and continually play the Game, watching her actions very carefully. A wrong move could cost her father some business. Tracey Davis, a girl with honey colored hair and brown eyes, was sitting beside her. She was the first to try to drag Selene into the conversation. "I don't believe we have met. What is your name again?"

Selene resisted the urge to bite her lip and was pulling her notebook out of one of her robe's pockets when Malfoy spoke up, drawing the attention of several others at the table. "That's Connelly. Her family supplies potions ingredients. Father insisted on buying from them for my supplies this year. He said they were the highest quality in the area." he explained quickly, not even giving her a chance to answer.

"It's impolite to interrupt another's conversation when it does not involve you, Malfoy." A sandy haired boy who looked a few years older said from where he was sitting on Selene's other side. "I would have thought your father would have mentioned that?" the boy tilted his head slightly and lifted one eyebrow. "But perhaps you merely forgot for a moment?" Malfoy flushed slightly but didn't say a single word. The sandy haired boy turned slightly towards Selene and said politely. "I'm Adrian Pucey, welcome to Slytherin house."

Selene wrote a quick reply, turning the book so he could see. _I'm Selene Connelly. I apologize for not responding immediately. I don't really talk much._

Pucey looked at her for a moment and then read it out-loud for her year-mates to hear. His face was rather blank and unreadable.

"If you don't talk, how do you expect to learn magic? How did they even let you into the school? What makes you think you are worthy of being in Slytherin with us?" Parkinson asked in a very nasty voice.

Selene calmly placed her notebook on the table and pulled out her wand, she noticed Parkinson paled slightly at the sight. _I can learn magic just as well as you can._ Selene wrote, the flame colored words forming in the air.

Pucey let out a short laugh. "Well done, Connelly. You are surprising." He said, face relaxing into a real smile and then he looked down the table at the other new students. "Leave her alone and hurry and eat, there is still more that needs to happen tonight."

The others sat straighter at his words and continued eating. Conversation flowed all around her. Selene noticed the glares she would occasionally get from Parkinson, and both Malfoy and Davis would look at her curiously from time to time, but no one tried to talk to her again. She simply listened as various topics were discussed, such as the names of the teachers at the head table and which class they taught, and what kind of magic they might soon be learning in those classes.

After some time had passed, the food vanished from the tables and the Headmaster got to his feet. Everyone stopped talking so they could hear what he had to say. He warned them that the forest on the grounds was forbidden, as well as a few other announcements; one of which was about a corridor that was also forbidden on pain of death. He then led them in singing the school song.

The Slytherin first years all followed a Prefect whose name Selene forgot almost immediately. "Pay attention!" The Prefect called back to them. "It's very easy to get lost down here in the Dungeons." They stopped in front of a blank stretch of wall that looked much the same as every other. "Ambition" the Prefect announced and Selene was fascinated as the wall slid back to reveal Professor Snape.

"Don't stand there like idiots. Come into the common room." Professor Snape said sharply. They all hurried in and the wall slid shut behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

The Slytherin common room was full of students who had made themselves comfortable across almost every available surface. It seemed the entire house was waiting to see what Professor Snape had to say. The low ceilinged room was decorated in black and various shades of green. Many portraits lined the stone walls. The large fireplace was casting off plenty of heat, the wood snapping and popping in a merry way. There was a serpent carved into the stone above the mantle, and low hanging green lamps just added to the feeling that this is a place of secrets. Some might have felt uneasy, thinking the room was little more than a dungeon; Selene loved it…to her it felt elegant and comfortable at the same time. The large black leather couches near the fireplace were full of older students. There were a few wing-backed chairs that were highlighted by a huge window that seemed to look into the inky waters of the lake. With everyone in the common room at the same time, every chair was occupied, which forced the first years to stand. Selene lifted her head proudly and waited patiently for the Professor to say what he must. She felt questioning eyes of a few older students looking at her and the other first years and determined to keep her face blank.

"You have been sorted into Slytherin House. I am Professor Snape, Potions Master and Head of your House. Any problems that cannot be solved by our prefects can be brought to me. That does not mean you can come to me every time you scrape your knee from a tripping jinx. No matter what your differences are I expect every member of this House to show a united front when outside these rooms. If I hear of anyone getting caught in an instance of infighting while out in the corridors the consequences will be…severe." Professor Snape paused and looked over the first years with a calculating eye. "Not one member of this House should ever be caught breaking the rules or curfew that is in place. Slytherin has been home to many great wizards, including Merlin himself. I expect you all to prove your worth." He began to walk from the room, his robes sweeping out behind him with a quiet grace Selene actually envied. "Prefect Farley will show you to your rooms and explain the rest." And just like that he was gone.

This seemed to be a cue to the other students who all began talking and laughing with each other. A smartly dressed girl with long brown hair and a golden P pinned to her robes approached the first years. "I'm Farley." She began in a rather sharp voice. She pointed behind them. "There is a notice board near the entrance to the dungeon. I suggest checking it daily for announcements." Before they really had a chance to look around she turned sharply and began leading them to a dark area on the far side of the room. "This way. Watch your step coming down." You would not have been able to see it from the main entrance to the dungeon, but hidden by shadow was a small staircase seemingly cut out of the stone itself. Carefully navigating the stairs, Selene immediately noticed how much cooler it seemed. At the bottom of the steps it opened up into a chamber that had two tunnels leading off either side. "Boys down the tunnel on the left, girls, the same to your right. Do not try to go down the opposite tunnels or else you will suddenly find yourself thrown into the lake a good distance from the shore. I do not recommend you try it. Down the tunnels will be a series of doors. Find the one labeled for first years and this will be your dorm room, all of your things should have been delivered there already." She started to head back up the staircase but paused and continued "I almost forgot. Breakfast is served usually from seven until nine. However, because tomorrow is your first day I will be showing you around the main parts of the castle at eight sharp. Professor Snape doesn't want to hear about any of his snakes being late to classes because they could not find their way."

"Why should we have to cut our breakfast short?" Parkinson cut in. "Can't you just show us to our first class? I don't want to get up earlier than I have to, a girl needs her beauty rest."

"Do not be late or I will leave you." Farley said dismissively, and then she too was gone.

"Well that's rubbish. Who does she think she is to talk like that to me?" Parkinson nearly shrieked in outrage. "The only reason she is even attending this year is because my family helped hers with tuition money. They are losing everything you know. Why the nerve of her to…"

"Pansy!" Malfoy said sharply, stopping her mid-rant. "You know how these things go. Here at Hogwarts she is an established Prefect. You just got here. Do you really think you have the clout or allies strong enough to challenge her? Hold your tongue until you can really do something about it."

Parkinson attempted to regain her composure. She forced her face to smooth in a facade of boredom. "No matter. I'm going to bed." She said with forced calm and walked towards the dorms, most of the other girls following close behind. Selene hesitated, not wanting to deal with Parkinson when she seemed determined to stay in a bad mood.

With the drama over, the boys headed to their own rooms, talking softly amongst themselves. Only Malfoy remained behind. His face a much more perfect mask of indifference than Parkinson could have managed, but Selene was used to reading people and saw apology in his eyes. "My behavior at dinner was impolite. Pucey reminded me of that. I should have let you speak for yourself." Then he winced slightly. "Poor choice of words…" he muttered to himself. Then stood straighter and took a deep breath. "Goodnight Connelly." he said before walking away much faster than he really needed to.

Selene hoped Parkinson was in bed already, she really was quite tired after all the excitement of the day. The tunnel to the dorms was lit by more of the hanging green lamps. There were four doors on the right and three on the left. The first on the right had a small sign next to it labeling it as the first year's dorm. The door itself was made of a solid oak, but what caught her attention was the intricate carving of a nest of snake eggs. A few of the eggs were hatching and you could see the heads of the snakes poking out, tongues flicking to taste the air. It was beautiful. Inside the dorm were six four-poster beds made of a mahogany wood. The beds had thick green curtains hanging from them for privacy with a heavy down-filled bedspread that was sure to keep her them warm in the cool dungeons. The other girls had already climbed into their beds and pulled the curtains closed. Selene gathered her pajamas from her trunk and quickly found the bathroom behind a small door she had missed when she first walked in. A deep pool formed a bath on one side of the room. The other side had a series of stalls containing showers or toilets. A handful of sinks spanned to either side of the door, large mirrors hanging over each of them. Again Selene was struck by how beautiful everything was. It was obvious no expenses were spared when these dorms were built. A short time later and Selene had settled in to sleep, curtains around the bed shut tight.

The next morning passed in a flurry of activity. Some students were wide awake. They were going over their class schedules and talking with friends. Other students were still half asleep. It was astonishing to Selene that Tracey Davis had even found her way to the table. As it was, Davis didn't notice when she put salt into her tea instead of sugar. The resulting coughing and choking seemed to wake her up though. Owls swooped in dropping various notes and packages. Heckle landed on Selene's shoulder, waiting patiently for her to write a letter to her father. It was a short letter, only saying what house she was sorted into and a promise to write more soon. Pucey nodded in greeting before turning back to his group of friends. Selene's dorm mates seemed determined to ignore her. In fact, they talked over and around her as if she wasn't even there. It was meant to be a serious insult, but Selene decided to let it slide. She would choose her battles carefully. The Game should never be played hastily. Living in the Snake Den, as she had heard an older Slytherin student fondly call it, would require her to use every bit of her cunning. It would be exhausting. It would be an exciting challenge. Let them overlook her and ignore her…she would forge a place amongst them, and then they would have no choice but to look to her with respect. Selene took some time to study the other occupants in the hall. Oliver Rivers was over at the Ravenclaw table and appeared to be drawing something. At the Hufflepuff table, the small O'Hare girl seemed to be surrounded by lively conversation and it looked like a few older Gryffindors were even over talking with her.

Many people throughout the hall seemed to be trying to steal glances at the Gryffindor table. Whispers could be heard of "Over there, did you see?" and "Yeah, next to the smallest Weasley." and again and again almost like a quiet prayer "Harry Potter…It's Harry Potter". Selene couldn't help but seek a glance of the famed Boy-Who-Lived. He was small and wore black framed glasses that seemed a little too large for his face, but it was hard to see much from across the opposite side of the room. She wondered what kind of a person he was.

At exactly eight o'clock, Prefect Farley stood without a word and walked out of the Great Hall. The Slytherin first years had to scramble to keep up, looking most undignified. Hogwarts castle was an astonishing place. Infused with magic and ever changing. It seemed to have a mind of its own. There were doors that led to nowhere, doors that would only open if you tickled them or made them blush, even sections of solid walls only pretending to be doors. Selene promised herself she would remember one specific door in the dungeons, that when you walked through you were suddenly on the seventh floor! It would be a big time saver later. Staircases moved, steps vanished from beneath you, and suits of armor seemed to find enjoyment in sneaking up behind you. It made sense that people often got lost in the dungeons. The very halls seemed to move and rearrange in a random way that did not make any sense to Selene. She traced their path with her hand along one wall, hoping it would help her remember the way. It was Malfoy who finally asked how they could ever find anything if it all moved. Farley only responded with "If you know where you want to go, you will find it with ease." Parkinson muttered about how that was unhelpful but didn't dare to speak any louder.

After an hour long tour, during which they had covered a near impossible area of the castle and grounds, the first year Slytherins were left to make their own way to class. Breakfast was over and other students from various houses were beginning to flood the corridors. "Does anyone remember the way to the Potion's class room? Farley rushed through that tour so fast, I'm practically dizzy from trying to keep up." Daphne Greengrass complained. She did in fact sound a little breathless and her skin held a deep flush.

"It was down the stairs, two lefts and a right…wasn't it?" Parkinson spoke up.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Zabini said shortly. "It was two rights and a left."

"Honestly, I'm not sure either of you have it right." Malfoy interrupted. "But Professor Snape will be very displeased if we are late our very first day." He looked around the group. "I know she went fast, but we were shown the way…does no one remember?"

This was it…this was a battle Selene could win. She was pretty sure should could find it. She stood a little straighter, lifting her head in a show of pride and a certainty she didn't really feel. After taking a deep breath, she stepped forward into the group to get their attention. *Follow me, please.* she signed, even though she knew they wouldn't understand. She would not hide the things that made her different or even wrong in some peoples' minds. When no one responded she made her sign again *Follow me, please.* and began to walk towards the steps to the dungeons.

"What was she doing with her hands?" Sally Smith asked in a hushed voice.

"Does it matter right now? It looks like she knows where she is going so let's go." Malfoy spoke and led the group after Selene.

Selene was waiting at the foot of the stairs. When she saw the others following she allowed a small smile, turned and placed her right hand against the wall, and began to follow the path in her mind. The stone was smooth and cool to the touch and the corridors were dimly lit. After some distance her hand fell away from the wall, she had come to the first cross section in the hall. Praying she was right she continued to walk forward down the hall in front of her, placing her right hand back to the wall.

"This isn't right! I'm sure we were supposed to turn here." Someone protested from behind.

They must have been ignored because Selene could still hear the sound of the groups' steps behind her. She focused back to the task at hand, never allowing her own steps to falter. Smooth cold stone beneath her touch. Halfway down the hall she felt a rough stone that did not match the others, and at the next cross section she turned right. Again keeping her hand on the stone, just as she had done during the tour. Then she felt it, a series of little indentations in the stone. There was a door immediately to her left that she remembered was Professor Snape's private office. Just a little further down the hall should be…yes! Selene sighed in relief. At the end of the hall, before the next turn, a door was flung open and the warm light of flame was shining from within. She took her hand from the wall and walked with quick purpose the rest of the way into the room. Professor Snape was already in there behind the desk at the front of the room. He was a rather imposing man, Selene thought. His face remained impassive but Selene thought she saw a small light of approval in his eyes. He made a half gesture towards the left side of the room and then went back to looking at the paperwork in front of him. All this happened in just a few seconds and as Selene made her way to a desk at the back left of the room, the others who had followed her were just walking in.

"She actually found it…" Zabini sounded shocked.

Selene hid a smirk as she bent to remove her potions text from her bag. A hand snagged in her hair and pulled sharply. Hissing slightly at the pain, Selene quickly sat up in time to see Parkinson sliding into a spot at the desk in front of her. Parkinson casually shook a few loose strands of hair from her hand and turned to talk to Millicent Bulstrode who was sharing the desk with her. Selene ran a careful hand through her own hair, smoothing the knots that had formed. Gryffindor students who shared this lesson with them were coming into the room now in small groups of two or three. They sat on the opposite side of the room. Each group either ignored or glared at the other. While everyone else got settled, Selene took the chance before class started to study the room. Around the walls were shelves upon shelves of pickled potions ingredients, both plant and animal. These were obviously meant for studying the item in its whole state. One door was labeled as a supply cupboard and there was a row of deep sinks at the back with a few cauldrons stacked nearby. A shelf in an opposite corner was stacked near to bursting with what appeared to be old potions texts. There were no windows to let light in, but a pleasant amount of candles added a nice warm glow to the place. There was one other door half hidden behind the blackboard at the front of the room that Selene could only guess what lay behind it. Overall the room reminded her of a larger version of her dad's potions closet he kept out in the barn.

Professor Snape soon started the class by taking a roll call. There was a slight pause as he waited for Selene to answer when called. When she did not he looked up to find her hand raised and after a moment more he nodded and continued down the list. He paused again when he reached Harry Potter's name. Selene frowned when he made a comment about Potter being a celebrity. The other Slytherins snickered behind their hands at the slight antagonistic tone. He then finished calling the rest of the names and then looked up to study the class. He began their lesson in a captivating voice, barely above a whisper. The students hung on every word as he talked about the beauty of the shimmering fumes that could dance above a cauldron; about how you could bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. It was a stunning little speech that made you want to prove yourself capable.

The spell was broken however when he stood suddenly and began questioning Potter in a sharp voice. Question after question Potter had to admit he did not know, while a bushy haired Gryffindor girl practically jumped from her seat in her eagerness to answer. Malfoy and several other Slytherins were nearly shaking with repressed laughter as Potter answered each question in the negative. When Potter had finally had enough and suggested the professor ask his friend Hermione, Selene had to fight the urge to bury her face in her hands. She knew what kind of person he was now…impulsive. Her fellow snakes would eat him alive if he wasn't careful. A few people laughed out loud.

Professor Snape snapped the answers to the questions and everyone went into a flurry of motion to quickly write down everything he said. Potter, of course, lost a point for Gryffindor. Really, Selene wondered, what else did he think would happen after smarting off to a teacher?

The lesson then began in earnest. Instructions a vocabulary were written on the black board at the front of the room and they spent the next hour going over the proper way to crush, mash, and slice, dice, cube, and weigh ingredients. It was all familiar to Selene who had helped her dad in his lab on many occasions but she did hear a few whispers of people who couldn't tell the difference between slicing and dicing. She made a mental note to make sure her station was set far away from them in the future. Her dad had always emphasized that the subtle differences in how you prepare ingredients can change how they react with other things. It really was a very exact science. Professor Snape walked by, inspecting everyone's work. Almost everyone got some sort of criticism or sharp correction. When he paused at Selene's desk he grabbed the mortar and pestle she was crushing snake fangs into and inspected it closely before setting it down wordlessly. His eyes quickly scanned the other ingredients laying on her desk that she had already prepared and gave a small nod. He moved on to Parkinson's desk, another critique at the ready. Selene felt very pleased. Class ended with the announcement that there would be a quiz Wednesday on the first two chapters of their text and they would be brewing the Cure for Boils potion on Friday.

Selene followed the surge of her classmates out of the dungeon and to the large Entrance Hall. The large doors were open to the courtyard. The almost painfully bright light from the sun was spilling inside, bringing with it welcome warmth after the coolness of the dungeons. Selene gradually fell behind her year mates, enjoying the walk down to the greenhouses for her next class. The sun sparkled like diamonds off the lake and she was determined to go down to it after dinner. A soft voice beside her startled her from her thoughts.

"Thank you for showing us the way to class earlier." Davis said softly, brushing one of her honey colored curls out of her face. "I probably would have gotten lost for sure." When Selene smiled in response Davis continued in a slightly mocking voice, "Especially if I had followed Parkinson."

Hearing her name called from behind by a familiar voice, Selene turned with a smile to see Rivers jogging to catch up with them. *Hello* she greeted him and then wrote quickly in her small notebook. _Davis, this is Rivers. We just had potions with Professor Snape. What about you?_ She asked, showing it to both of them.

"Pleasure to meet you, Davis." Oliver said with a smile. "I just had Charms with Professor Flitwick. He seems nice. I think it will be a fun class. How was Professor Snape?" He pulled a handful of caramels out and offered them to the girls before taking one himself.

Davis' eyes lit up at the prospect of gossip. "Oh Professor Snape was a bit...intense. We had that class with Potter and the other Gryffindors. They ended up losing points because Potter was so rude to Snape. It was shocking."

Selene frowned and wrote a quick explanation. _Professor Snape seems like a very exacting teacher. He is very passionate about his subject and doesn't have patience for fools. Just make sure you do the reading in the first chapter of your text before your class and you will be fine._

Oliver frowned, his face scrunching up a little. "I hate it when somebody has to argue with teachers. Debates are fine but the poor man has to go through the same lessons more than once a day every year. We just have to get through it once. Arguing just holds up the class..." He took the papers from the candy, folding them carefully and pocketing them. "I read ahead a few chapters, actually. I heard a girl in Gryffindor's read everything and then some, though. I didn't have the time..."

_I'm sure you will do fine. Don't let Professor Snape's strict manner throw you._ Selene assured kindly.

They were approaching the greenhouses now. Professor Sprout, a kind faced, portly woman was standing at the entrance to a greenhouse with a large number one above the door. "Come along, come along!" She called after seeing the stragglers and then went ahead inside. Davis hurried in to join up with her friend Sally Smith.

The greenhouse was amazing. Various forms of ivy and flowers climbed the walls. Clay pots were stacked casually in any spare place they could fit. Shovels, rakes, trowels, shears, and other such tools were piled into barrels near the door. It was a riot of every color in the rainbow and varying shades in between. Some plants seemed to shift and sway in a nonexistent breeze and from somewhere near the back one plant seemed to be humming. The air was rich with the smell of damp soil, fertilizer, and the perfume from many flowers. Light filtered through the leaves of the various plants. The entire place felt like a mysterious forest, just on a small scale. It instantly made Selene feel homesick. She hoped her father was doing ok and wasn't too lonely.

"Right, class!" Professor Sprout began in a jovial voice. "Before we begin does everyone have their gloves? Make sure you grab the aprons in front of you to use while you are in here. None of these plants will kill you out right, but some of them do bite." A few people laughed nervously. "I want you all to partner up and search this greenhouse. Do NOT go into any of the others. Your assignment for today with be to pick any three plants, magical or mundane, draw and diagram each one according to the points in Chapter 3 of your book. Before you get started, listen closely to the safety procedures and make sure you follow them. They will be the difference between knowing what you are doing and going to the hospital wing." She said all this with a smile and then began her lecture.

The lecture was very like the one Selene had gotten from her father when he first started allowing her help in the greenhouses at home. It boiled down to "If you don't know what it is, don't touch it and definitely don't eat it. Always wear protective gear, even when working with mundane plants, and don't run with sharp objects." In other words, don't be a fool. The whole thing just made her smile. When Professor Sprout released them to work on their assignments, Selene turned and gestured back and forth between Oliver and herself, her head slightly tilted.

"I wouldn't make you fight the ugly potato army alone!" He declared theatrically, clutching a hand to his chest in mock offense. Some of the other Ravenclaws looked over in concern before realizing it was Oliver. Obviously used to his dramatic nature already, they just shrugged and went back to what they were doing. Malfoy scowled as if he was offended and Nott shushed him for being so loud. "Of course I want to work together." Oliver confirmed in a more appropriate tone.

Selene just shook her head with a small smile and gestured for him to follow her. The rest of the class was spent working on their assignment. With every new plant they discovered Oliver kept up a softly whispered commentary, giving the more interesting plants ridiculous nicknames. It just so happened that Oliver was a very detailed artist and his drawings almost looked real enough to pick up off the page! To Selene, who could barely manage little circle and stick figures, it seemed like a kind of magic. Everyone was startled when Crabbe yelled loudly about ten minutes before the end of class.

"Oh dear, I did warn you to keep your gloves on you at all times when handling the plants Mr. Crabbe." Professor Sprout tutted as she looked over his hand. Three rather large thorns were buried deeply into his palm, small streams of blood dripping from the wounds. "Well, it's off to Madam Pomfrey with you. She will have you back to normal by lunch I am sure. Mr. Goyle, why don't you go with him? Everyone else remember this as a warning. The safety protocols we went over are in place for a reason. Back to work." She finished briskly. Everyone did, but the volume of conversation was considerably louder than originally. Class ended with an additional assignment of a thirteen inch essay about the basic care instructions for the three plants we chose with our partner, due on Thursday.

At lunch Oliver went to sit with his housemates but when the only open spot at the Slytherin table was between Parkinson and Nott, Selene decided to just grab some fruit go. Luckily the library was always a nice and quiet place. Having finished her fruit on the way here she found a quiet table in a far corner. It was half hidden behind a bookshelf and the chairs were sinking slightly from long years of use. It was perfect. She was not used to being around this many people and having to communicate and seem friendly and unbothered was really exhausting. She pulled out her charms text meaning to study for her next class, but she was so stressed and tired from the day so far, she soon nodded off.


	4. Chapter 3.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Having days split across chapters was really bothering me. After this I will try to make sure the chapters flow better. This may mean some chapters will be significantly longer or shorter depending on how the day goes. Next chapter should have a little more Draco interaction in it, just be patient with me, I know this is a slow build but we only just completed the first day of classes. Give it time. I promise things get deeper as it goes on. As always I hope you enjoy.)

She should have known the rest of her day would not go as well as the first half. She was jerked sharply from her sleep when someone kicked the leg of her chair hard. Her book clattered to the floor and Madam Pince the librarian looked over with disdain at the noise. Trying to quickly gather her bearings Selene looked up to see the Prefect Gemma Farley placing her own books down on the table.

"You've got five minutes to get up the next two floors and into your charms class before you are late." Farley said. Her voice was soft and kinder than was expected when considering how short she had been when giving the tour earlier and how she just chose to wake Selene up. "I suggest you hurry, little hatchling. Wouldn't want to lose points for being late on the first day would you?"

Selene nodded in response and quickly grabbed her things and left the library at an almost run. Thankfully the corridors were mostly empty by now and the staircases didn't try and switch with her on them. She made it to the charms classroom and slid into a desk to the left of the door just as Professor Flitwick began calling names. Once again when her name was called there was a longer than usual pause while Professor Flitwick looked up and scanned the room for her. Like with the other professors, he gave her a small nod of acknowledgement and then continued down the list. This was obviously to be how practically every class would start. Selene spent the next minute trying to sort out her text and parchment, preparing to take notes for class. A soft laugh caught her attention. Parkinson was practically shaking with repressed laughter. Zabini was looking at her with a judging eye that clearly found her lacking in some way, and Malfoy was smirking in amusement. It wasn't until Davis gestured to her hair that Selene realized she must look a fright. She woke up from her nap, ran up three flights of stairs, and never took a moment to fix her hair or robes. She swiftly combed her fingers through her hair, finding several pieces that had been sticking up at a strange angle and smoothing out knots. Her robes and skirt needed adjusting to lay in perfect folds, and somehow her tie had become off center. She hastily made all these corrections but it was too late. The damage had been done.

She sighed and turned her attention to the professor and what he was saying. He was a diminutive man who stood on a stack of books just to see and be seen clearly. Where Selene's first two classes had been more practical, Professor Flitwick was going over a lot more theory. He lectured about how charms (and indeed all magic) was a lot more complex than just waving your wand around foolishly. Pronunciation, wand movement and positioning, and above all else your focus and intention of a spell had to be exact or the effects could be disastrous. He warned us not to attempt creating our own spells or modifying existing ones until later years when we had more theoretical understanding. Selene made many notes during his lecture, but honestly the theory always made her head spin. She would have to find a study partner who could help her with it all. The first charm they would be learning was the Softening Charm. The charm was supposed to make the object it was cast upon soft, porous, or even slightly bouncy…or a combination of the three if that was your intent. It seemed a simple enough charm and Professor Flitwick was certain they would grasp it quickly. Their homework was to read the first chapter in their books and write three paragraphs on the various ways the Softening Charm might be used by tomorrow.

Professor McGonagall was a very stern and exacting teacher. She began the very first transfiguration class with a warning about how dangerous and difficult this particular branch of magic was. Any student caught fooling around or who does not take her lessons seriously immediately removed from her class. She then began her lecture on the science of Transfiguration. They spent the entire first half of class on learning the Transformation Formula before spending the rest on vocabulary. By the end of class many student's hands were cramping from the amount of notes taken. They were assigned the first two chapters of reading in their books and warned there would be a quiz on what they had covered the very next day. Selene had a feeling Transfiguration was going to be very difficult for her. It seemed to be a very intricate subject of study that was even more detailed than Charms.

With homework due tomorrow in both Transfiguration and Charms, Selene decided she would return to the common room to work until dinner. No one looked up when she entered the common room. The chairs closest to the fire had already been taken as had many of the others. A few seats were free at a large table on one side of the room, but when she attempted to join them she was sent away with a mixture of scowls and mocking laughter. Flushed with embarrassment for breaking some unspoken rule there in the snake den, she glanced quickly around the room once more. Watching her house mates she first thought that certain areas were kept for specific years. This was proved wrong when a seventh year student gave their spot near the fire, without any prompting, to an obviously younger girl. Selene found an empty area in a corner and figured she could always move if she had to. Upon closer inspection it was obvious why this area was empty. The green tinged light from the room's lamps did not reach here. The only light came from a few dim candles placed on a small side table between two faded wing backed chairs. When she sat in one of the chairs it gave a small but clear creak of complaint. The entire common area could be seen from this corner, including an easy view of the windows that looked out into the lake. Easing further back into the surprisingly soft chairs, Selene waited to see if anyone held issue with her sitting here, but not a single glance was cast her way. Rummaging through her bag for homework supplies, she decided she had wasted enough time and would figure out what rule she had broken later.

She got her answer sooner than expected. Having stayed behind to finish her homework, she arrived to dinner slightly late. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle entered ahead of her. At their approach a group of second years slid down the bench to make room for them. This forced others on their side to also have to shift, yet no one complained as Malfoy took his seat. When Selene drew close, no one shifted to make room. Pucey smiled a greeting from his place farther along the table, then went back to talking with his friends. Selene was forced to take a seat at the far end. The only ones who sat close to her were Tracey Davis and Sally Smith…even then there was a full place setting between them and her. She tried to slide closer to Davis to close the gap, but stopped when Davis shook her head with an apologetic smile.

Tears stung Selene's eyes. Any appetite she might have had was gone. Her throat felt tight as she struggled to keep control on her emotions. Surely she hadn't done anything to cause her house to shun her. There must be some logical explanation for why she was separated from the others. She thought she had been doing well enough for her first day…even making friends.

A hand on her arm broke her from her train of thought at the same time she heard Davis calling her name. She blinked back the tears before they fell and schooled her face into a mask of ease she did not feel. Davis gave her arm another soft shake, "Connelly!" she said insistently. When she saw she had Selene's attention she continued in a softer manner. "I asked if you wanted any bread."

Selene merely pressed her lips together and shook her head no in response.

"You really should eat something." Davis continued. "I didn't see you at lunch, have you eaten anything at all since breakfast?"

Selene nodded.

"Here." Before Selene could react, Smith had reached across the table to set a cup of pumpkin juice in front of her. "Drink this at least."

Selene smiled softly in thanks and sipped on the juice. Her mind was whirling as she tried to understand. She obviously wasn't being shunned if two of her dorm mates were talking to her. So what was going on? Only half listening as Davis and Smith continued talking amongst themselves she studied how her housemates were seated at the table carefully. At first glance it seemed like most were seated with friends according to year. But Selene had a feeling this was connected to the incident in the common room earlier. Examining even closer she noticed that every now and then a student or small group of students would be sitting one section up from their year mates. She thought again about how the second year students moved for Malfoy and his group, how she had been turned away from the table in the common room, and then she remembered what Malfoy had said to Parkinson last night. Parkinson didn't have the influence to challenge a Prefect! Of course! This was just another extension of the Game. They were seating at the dinner table according to Pureblood tradition. How far up you sat was determined by your status…wealth, family standing, and personal power would factor in to the ranking. With this new knowledge in mind Selene looked again at where she was sitting and couldn't help but sigh in frustration. No one was shunning her. SHE was the one who sat in the wrong place. Davis didn't allow her to slide over earlier because that would have still been the wrong spot. Davis was a half-blood and Selene being pureblood would be of a higher family standing. Davis had been saving her from a further mistake.

As casually as she could Selene stood and moved to stand behind Davis. She touched her left shoulder and Davis slid herself and her plate over into the previously empty spot. Head held high as if she had done no wrong, Selene sat at the now open spot between Davis and Daphne Greengrass. Greengrass just gave a dismissive sniff and went back to her conversation with Nott. Selene looked to her right and saw both Smith and Davis grinning at her.

"Took you long enough." Davis said warmly. "I thought you would have noticed sooner."

Selene struggled for a moment to pull her notebook from her robe pocket. _I wasn't expecting this tradition to be followed. No one sat like this at breakfast…_

Davis read it out loud, but it was Smith who answered. "Well no, of course not. Not everyone is fully awake at breakfast, and so many people come and go at lunch. Dinner is the only real structured meal." Smith passed Selene some more to drink, then she turned her attention back to Davis. They turned the conversation back to what they thought of their classes so far. Selene was content to listen.

After dinner there was still an hour until curfew. Remembering her promise to herself from earlier in the day, Selene waved goodbye to Davis and Smith and made her way outside. She had noticed a large shade tree near the edge of the lake and wanted to go and get a better look. The area was covered in soft grass near the tree. The roots were big enough to make a nice place to sit instead of directly on the ground. She closed her eyes and just listened to the breeze blowing through the trees and took a moment to appreciate the smell of the water from the lake. Instantly she was reminded of home. All the stress and confusion of the day melted away. Tension she had not realized she was holding eased between her shoulders. This was a good spot. She would try to come back here often. The breeze shifted then, carrying with it the faint sound of barking. She opened her eyes and looked back towards the castle. She couldn't tell exactly who it was, but a student seemed to be enjoying the last of the evening light. She was surrounded by various animals. Some were too small to be sure of from this distance, but one was definitely a little black dog, who seemed to be very happy to run in circles. The large man who had walked them from the train, Hagrid, was sitting with the student. Maybe the animals were his? Selene yawned and shrugged. It had been a long day. She began the walk back to the castle. She had finished any homework that was due tomorrow already. Going to bed early tonight sounded like a really good idea.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: As always, I own nothing recognizable. This chapter is much longer than previous ones but it gives you the full day in one go. I would love to hear what you all think. I am writing this without a beta so I apologize for any mistakes. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. )

Selene woke well before her dorm mates the next morning. Eyes cracked open just enough to see in the dim light, she rummaged around in her trunk for her bathing supplies and a fresh uniform. Her trunk closed with a small thunk of wood on wood. Davis in the next bed over groaned slightly at the noise and could be heard rolling over behind her bed curtains. Shuffling as quietly as she could, Selene made her way to the bathrooms. Candles flared to life when she entered the room. Squinting her eyes against the sudden light, Selene scowled slightly and walked down the left side of the room to where a row of showers were individually sectioned off. There was a shelf just inside the door to keep her things dry. The shower was much like the one at home. It had two white knobs representing hot and cold water and several other ones in various other shades that Selene knew would represent other scents that would mix with the water. She turned on the water and tried a purple knob that she was pleased smelled of lavender. The water was still so cold when she stepped into it however she yelped in surprise. Now wide awake she waited, shivering until she saw steam coming from the spray.

Afterward she was standing in front of a large mirror, her hair becoming drier with each stroke of her brush. It soon lay in its usual smooth curtain down her back. She was straightening her tie when she heard someone enter. Davis stumbled into the bathroom, nearly tripping with every step, her towel dragging on the floor after her. "Mornin'," she mumbled. "Ev'ons up" was all she managed before wandering into the showering area.

Selene heard the water turn on followed immediately by a shriek. She smiled and turned back toward the mirror, giving a little spin to make sure everything was perfect. A warm grandmotherly voice from the mirror said "Lovely, dearie." which caused Selene to smile even more. Everyone in her dorm was indeed up, but it seemed like no one was really wide awake just yet. She was able to grab her book bag and slip out the door without incident.

When she got down to the breakfast table it was already half full with her housemates. Adrian Pucey had several seats open near him and he waved her over to join him when he saw her enter. "Morning!" He said with way more cheer than Selene thought anyone should possess that early in the morning. She gave a small smile and a nod of greeting. A steaming pot of tea was on the table directly across from her and she poured a cup, sighing gratefully at the slightly bitter warmth. Pucey gave her a few minutes of quiet while they ate in companionable silence.

Others came in as time went on. Selene was more relaxed and awake by the time Davis sat on her other side. Selene switched the salt shaker with the sugar tumbler before they had another repeat of yesterday morning. Davis muttered a quick "Thanks" before she went back to her food. Parkinson had sat directly across from Selene, but she seemed content to act as if Selene didn't exist. This did not bother Selene in the slightest.

Having finished eating, Pucey turned slightly toward Selene. "How are you adjusting? Finding everything alright?" He waited patiently as she removed her notebook.

_The castle is easy enough to navigate if you really pay attention._ She hesitated before continuing. _How many of the Traditions are observed in Slytherin house on a regular basis?_

Pucey laughed softly, "You mean how many other stuffy dinners and such should you watch out for?" He laughed loudly when she flushed, drawing the attention of several people throughout the Great Hall. "Well many of the students are from the old families. It's how most of us were raised and I guess it just became custom to continue it here over the years. Dinner protocol is really one of the only ones the whole house follows…well, that and following a ranking system based on respect earned…" A thoughtful look crossed his face. "I don't know who started it, seems like it's been custom to do that since the beginning. Things are more relaxed around your friends of course but I think it keeps fighting down if the customs are followed."

The screech and hoots of many owls was heard as the post owls came in with the morning mail. Selene looked up, searching for Heckle but did not see him. A small brown owl came swooping down and dropped a package in front of Pucey. "Ah, I was hoping Mum would send this." He said grasping it up quickly. He stood from his seat and patted the top of Selene's head with a crooked smile. "See you later." He said and laughed again at the blush that crept across Selene's face and then he joined a group of his friends as they walked out of the hall. A single deep call was all the warning Selene got before her head was buffeted by a flurry of wings as a solid weight settled on her shoulder.

Davis gave a small squeak of surprise. "Oh my! Such a large owl! I thought you had a barn owl?" She asked.

_I do. My barn owl's name is Heckle. This is Bubo. She belongs to my father._ Selene wrote quickly before reaching up to untie the letter from the owl's leg. She fed Bubo a bit of toast and then turned her head to brush against the owl's wings. "Go rest." She whispered softly. Bubo rubbed her head against Selene's cheek before flying off with another deep hoot. Still feeling a little homesick from yesterday, Selene opened the letter eagerly and spread it out onto the table to read it easily.

_Darling Star-shine,_

_I hope you don't mind me sending Bubo instead of Heckle. That owl of yours was tired and even more grumpy than usual! He bit my finger when I took too long trying to untie that blasted letter. He flew off to the barn immediately. I will send him back with your next letter of course but Bubo was nearly chattering with excitement when I said I had a letter for you. I think she missed you as much as I do!_

_Congratulations on making it into Slytherin. Many strong and powerful witches and wizards have come from there. I am sure you will be a fine addition to that house! I can't wait to hear all about your classes. Which do you like best? How are you finding your teachers? Have you made any friends? I hope you are eating properly, and getting plenty of rest. I got a large order in this morning for 25 doses of the Wiggenweld Potion and they wanted ingredients for another 10 batches! That is going to clean out my entire stock of moondew. I've gotten lazy the past few years, having you here to help me. Guess this lazy old man will have to be working at night for a little while. I miss you very much already but I hope you are enjoying Hogwarts._

_Much love,_

_Your father_

Selene had just finished reading her letter when the table immediately in front of her flooded with pumpkin juice that spilled over into her lap. She gasped as the cold liquid seeped through her robes and she picked up her now dripping letter up from the table. The people on either side of her had slid back quickly with exclamations of surprise.

Across the other side of the table Parkinson sat with a smirk on her face. A now empty pitcher hung from her fingers. "Oops," she said in a mocking tone. "I do hope that wasn't a dreadfully important letter. I'm so clumsy in the morning." She set the pitcher down. "I hope you will forgive me."

Anger washed through Selene and she was standing with her wand in her hand before she could even blink. She stood there with juice dripping from her robes, gripping her wand so tight her knuckles turned white. She wasn't quite sure what she would have done if Professor Snape hadn't been walking by right at that moment. "Is there a problem Ms. Connelly? Or is there a good reason why you continue to drip liquid onto the floor?" He asked in a bored tone.

"Parkinson spilled juice all over her, sir." Davis said.

"I do believe I asked Ms. Connelly. Do try not to forget your own name Ms. Davis." He paused, surveying the table with a calculating gaze.

"It's my fault, Professor." Parkinson interjected. "I tried to reach for the pitcher to pour myself some more juice, but I guess I wasn't paying attention and I knocked it over."

"That's not how…" Davis started but silenced at a motion from Selene.

"I would have thought a young woman such as you would be mindful and handle every situation with grace. Might I suggest, Ms. Parkinson, that you be more aware, in the future, of the area around you? Ms. Connelly, gather your things and get cleaned up." He continued on his way out of the hall, his steps silent with only the faint billowing of his cloak marking his passage.

Parkinson was sitting with her arms crossed. A satisfied smile playing on her lips. Selene wanted nothing more than to wipe that look off her face but she remembered Professor Snape's warning about fighting in public.

"Here." Davis said softly. She had gathered Selene's bag and notebook, thankfully free from the mess, and held them out to her.

Selene left the now ruined and unreadable letter on the table. Smiling her thanks, Selene took the bag from Davis and tucked her wand into a dry pocket. With as much dignity as she could muster, covered as she was from the waist down in sticky juice, she walked out of the Great Hall.

Having left breakfast early to clean up, Selene was a little early as she headed to her first class of the day. The halls were still mostly empty but that suited her just fine. She had a lot to occupy her thoughts. She hadn't expected things to be easy here…not by a long shot...but the consistent harassment that seemed to be being led by Parkinson was completely unexpected. When she had gone with her father on trips others had stared at her, or ignored her. She was used to being talked over as if she wasn't even there…or yelled at as if speaking louder was necessary for her to understand. But never before had she been taunted and mocked like this. Professor Snape had said this kind of thing wouldn't be tolerated. If she went to him, he might try to put a stop to it….but he wouldn't always be there so doing so might just make things worse. "Selene? Selene wait up." She heard someone call. Her steps faltered as she was pulled from her thoughts. She turned to see Clare O'Hare walking up towards her. She was a very small girl, possibly the smallest of all the first year students. Her hair was a mess of golden curls that somehow managed to look both chaotic and beautiful simultaneously. She walked confidently and with a happy spring to her step. Another Hufflepuff girl with strawberry blond hair and a slightly round face was following slower a few steps behind. Selene tilted her head and smiled softly in welcome.

"Hey, so um, I saw about this morning…um…everything good?" Clare asked concernedly.

"Saw you rather in a hurry there at breakfast," the other girl interjected, "I'm Susan by the way, Susan Bones."

Selene flushed, partly from remembered anger and partly embarrassed still about how she must have looked, fleeing the Great Hall half-soaked and dripping. She shrugged slightly and signed *I'm fine, thank you* with the most reassuring smile she could. Her face felt slightly stiff and strained so she wasn't sure how successful she was. She lifted one hand, gesturing for them to wait as she dug out her wand. _Nice to meet you. I'm Connelly._ she wrote in fiery letters in response to Susan.

Susan looked slightly awed at the spell and a smile cracked its way across her face. Clare looked between Selene and the glowing words then back at her. She gave a small crooked smile and laced her fingers together, "So yes? You're good?"

_Yes. Sorry._ Selene again spelled into the air. _Thank you for asking._ She couldn't help the small satisfied smirk that crept onto her face at their obvious pleasure at her spell work.

Clare nodded and grinned bigger, "Well, great then. We are headed to Defense class. See you later?" she asked.

"Ooo yes! You could join us any time you like." Susan beamed.

At that moment Malfoy was passing them in the hall. "Are you coming Connelly?" He asked as he strolled by without really waiting for an answer.

Selene repositioned her bag on her shoulder and smiled a much more relaxed and friendly smile at the two Hufflepuffs. She nodded and gave a small wave before turning and heading off towards her first class.

History of Magic class was BORING. The air in the room smelled slightly stale, as if the windows hadn't been opened in a really long time. The teacher was dead, literally dead! Selene had seen several ghosts floating around Hogwarts. She had even been greeted by the Bloody Baron when passing through the common room that morning on her way to breakfast. But in comparison with Professor Binns, the other ghosts seemed much more alive and aware. Selene had skimmed through _A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_ and had been looking forward to learning more about the various stories from the past. Professor Binns floated into the room from behind the blackboard, shocking several students with his entry. But that was easily the most exciting thing he did. He apparently wasn't worried about calling roll. He immediately started talking about a goblin rebellion that had started in 1612 and taken place in the nearby village of Hogsmeade. The first twenty minutes or so Selene struggled to focus despite the warmth of the room and the droning inflectionless manner the professor talked in. But when he rolled right into talking about another rebellion in that same tone she felt her mind begin to wander. Her detailed notes turned into pointless scribbles circling the date 1752 and the words Boot and Flask. Several of her classmates had fallen asleep or seemed to be drawing. Malfoy, Parkinson, and Nott were huddled together in a whispered conversation. Overall Selene thought it was a horrible class. She would just have to study on her own time. When the class was over Professor Binns just floated back through the same wall as before.

Selene walked out into the busy hall. She saw a small group of students huddled around the windows that lined the other side of the hall. One of them was hanging half out for some reason. She saw Clare and Susan in the group and walked over. She touched Clare's arm gently to get her attention. Lifting one eyebrow questioningly she gestured at the windows then at the group.

Susan fanned at her face taking large breaths of air and pointed down the hall back towards the classroom they must have just left. She looked slightly nauseated. "Horrid..." she gasped in between breaths.

Clare nodded in agreement. She was looking a little pale. "Smells like month old, stale garlic bread in there." she said taking another larger breath. "A touch warm to boot."

One of the boys of the group made a quip about how sissy they were all being even though he himself looked a little green behind the gills.

"I'm not real sure as to what sort of aromatic he's used to…but I can think of much better smelling things to hang literally everywhere." Clare fanned her robes out vigorously and mumbled something about the stench leaking into her clothes.

Selene spared a quick glance at the room she would be in later that day. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad by the time she got there, but if it was as bad as they seemed to think she definitely wasn't looking forward to it. Looking back at the Hufflepuffs she tilted her head and schooled her features to look concerned. *Are you going to be ok?* she signed. Her wand was in the bottom of her bag and she had no hope of getting to it easy. Hopefully they would understand her expression at least.

Susan had flipped her head upside down and was trying to shake as much garlic smell out of her strawberry-blonde hair as she could. Clare nodded a bit in response to her concern, "It's not like we were choking but…"

"Might as well have been." complained Susan from under her hair.

Clare giggled and patted her on the back. "Oh!" she exclaimed and started rummaging around in her bag. She pulled out a small intricately folded purple piece of paper. It looked rather ordinary all things considered but she handed it to Selene anyway. "Try that. You can stick it on your robes if like, or fan it every now and then. Maybe it might help." she said, handing over the small bit of paper. "Its wisteria…one of my favorites."

On closer inspection Selene noticed it was folded in the shape of a small flower. She raised it closer to her face and took a cautious sniff. It smelled lovely. She gave a rather large, genuine smile of thanks. A hand on her arm surprised her and caused her to stiffen, but it was just Davis. "Come on Connelly! I don't fancy listening to a lecture about tardiness from Professor McGonagall." She said as she gently pulled on her arm. Selene smiled again at Clare and waved the flower as she was gently pulled away.

The quiz Professor McGonagall had warned about consisted of a three questions to be answered in short essay form. The first question was easy enough to answer. _**What is the Transformation Formula?**_

_The Transformation Formula is the governing scientific formula which allows one object to take the form of another through Transfiguration of said object. The formula reads thus: The intended transformation is directly influenced by the object's weight (a), viscosity (v), wand power (w), concentration (c) and a fifth unknown variable (z)._ Selene had studied the formula over and over again until she had it memorized.

The next two questions were harder and required a full understanding of the theory and your own interpretation of the science behind Transfiguration. _**Why is it imperative to know how the Transformation Formula works? Should the Transformation Formula be followed as a hard or soft rule and why?**_ She answered as best as she could. Even though she had read the first two chapters in her book twice now, she felt she still didn't fully grasp the theory behind Transfiguration. It seemed both extremely technical and vague all at once.

Professor McGonagall called for quills to be put down and then cast a spell that caused their parchments to be collected into a nice pile on her desk. "I said quills down Ms. Parkinson." The professor said in response to the sound of complaint. Parkinson still had her quill up as if she had meant to continue writing. "You had the same amount of time as everyone else. Next time I would suggest not staring out the window the first five minutes of class. Instead, do try to devote your full attention to the task at hand." She came around to stand in front of her desk. "Now, today we will begin our lesson on how to turn a matchstick into a needle." She waited as a murmur of excitement filtered through the room. "There will be no need for wands just yet." She said in a slightly louder voice. "Before you can attempt to transform and object, you must first understand the object you are trying to transfigure. Your assignment for today is to look around the room. Choose any object you wish. I want you to study the object. Take notes on things like color, what material it is made from, the weight and density of the object, as well as anything you think makes it different from any other item. Also explain what drew you to this item out of the many others in this room." She paused and when no one moved she continued in a slightly exasperated voice. "Well, don't dawdle!"

Chairs scraped across the floor as everyone hurried to begin searching the room. Selene was glad for the chance to explore things in more detail. It was a very large and spacious room. Several large windows let in lots of light and gave the whole room an airy feel. Despite this, Selene felt the room was excessively cluttered. Charts detailing various bugs, animals, plants, and even one about the human body were scattered throughout the room. Shelves were overflowing with books, wooden figures, and jars with whole or parts of specimens were there for close examination. There were a myriad collection of weights, quills, scales, and even a few skeletal forms of small creatures. Near the professor's desk a rather large exotic bird sat on a perch, its' head tucked beneath its wing. On a shelf near the front of the room, Selene found a small hand mirror. She returned to her desk to study the item further and begin her notes. It was surprisingly heavy. Slightly larger than her hand, it was made of silver and in serious need of a good polish. It was a beautifully ornate piece that detailed a single wolf that could be seen through a grouping of trees.

Professor McGonagall had been gradually circling the room, answering questions and pointing out things of note about certain items. She paused at Selene's desk. "What an interesting choice Ms. Connelly." She said and took a moment to look over what Selene had noted so far. "You give a beautiful description, however I would suggest finding a more exact phrasing than 'surprisingly heavy'. How heavy is it? What do you know of that has a similar weight?" Selene nodded her understanding and the professor moved on to another student. They were told to hand their notes in at the end of class. Tomorrow they would be attempting their first transfiguration. For homework they were to review the first two chapters in their book again, any questions they had on the theory would be answered at the start of their next class.

Selene was attempting to pack her things up when Millicent Bulstrode knocked her books out of her hands as she walked by with Parkinson and Nott. The books clattered loudly to the ground. "Watch what you are doing Connelly!" Nott said, lacing his words with an accusatory tone. Selene waited until they had left the room before she moved again. Bending to pick up her things, she didn't see Professor McGonagall approach.

"Are you alright, Ms. Connelly?" the professor asked briskly. Selene jumped in surprise and nearly dropped her books again. "Well come along then. I want to lock up for lunch."

Selene shoved her books into her bag and moved her wand to an easy to reach location. She hurried out past her teacher. The Great Hall was filled with the happy voices of many people enjoying lunch. It looked as if Davis had saved her a seat, but Parkinson was sitting only to seats over from her. She was saved the trouble of having to search for a seat when she heard Pucey call her over. He shoved at one of his friends until they slid over to make room for her. "Everyone, this is Connelly. She is one of our newest snakelets. Connelly this is Perks and Ross…you can just ignore Burkes." He said cheerfully. The one indicated as Burkes just scowled in response.

"Connelly?" Ross said with a thoughtful look upon his face. "Are you from that naturalist family? The one that handles potions ingredients?" Selene gave a cautious nod and he smiled. "My mother came back from a healer's convention a couple weeks ago where apparently there was some sort of exhibit about healing herbs. She talked for nearly two hours about a particularly lively Chinese Chomping Cabbage specimen and how the moondew she ordered was the purest she had ever seen. She said the exhibit had been run by a Frederick Connelly…"

_That's my father. He spent weeks working on that exhibit._ Her words floated in the air for a moment before the fiery blaze faded.

"Where did you learn to cast the Radiant Words Charm silently? We won't learn it until next week and silent casting isn't until sixth year." The scowl was gone from Burkes face, replaced instead by a look of surprise.

_Father taught me before school started. It's easier to cast this then to write in my notebook when I'm in a larger group._ Selene smirked. Burkes, Ross and Perks stared at her in shock.

Pucey was laughing softly at them. "I did tell you this particular hatchling was going to be worth watching out for…glad to see you believe me now." His words forced Selene to duck her head to try and hide her blush. She couldn't believe he had been talking about her. All four boys laughed when they noticed her blush. Perks placed a plate piled high with food in front of her, encouraging her to eat. She sat happily listening to them as they began a debate about the pros and cons of the Nimbus 2001 model that had been released this summer. Overall, lunch went much better than breakfast had.

Charms class turned out to be a little more frustrating that Selene had expected that day. They spent the first fifteen minutes of class reviewing the Softening Charm. Professor Flitwick had the class first practice the wand movement with a quill rather that their wands. It was a simple movement. You merely needed to pass your wand horizontally over the object you wished to charm while saying the spell. After practicing a few times he had each of them come up to his desk to grab a rock and a small sponge. As they formed a line to collect the items he continued his lecture. "Now what you need to focus on is to try and charm this rock to be as soft as this sponge. Remember, deliberate wand movements, and focused intent while you say your spell."

About halfway through the class, Professor Flitwick climbed down from his stack of books and began walking around the room. As he passed each desk he would reach up slightly to give their rocks a poke. He continued to give words of encouragement as he corrected wand positioning or pronunciation. Seeing the professor working his way towards her direction, Selene tested her own rock. It was just as hard as before. "Look here everyone." Professor Flitwick squeaked excitedly. "Mr. Malfoy has managed to make his rock softer." Indeed he was able to squeeze the rock and have it flatten slightly. Malfoy looked around the room, one eyebrow raised in a superior expression. "Not quite there yet Mr. Malfoy, but excellent progress. Keep trying." The professor continued.

She attempted the spell several more times, growing more frustrated with each failure. By the time Professor Flitwick made it to her desk Selene was gripping her wand so hard, she was causing sparks to fall from the end. Rather than reach for her rock, the small man came around the side of her desk and placed a hand on hers. "I'm afraid your grip is too firm Ms. Connelly" he said. She forced herself to relax her hand and took a deep breath. "Good, now perhaps take a moment to center yourself. Take a few deep breaths and picture in your mind that your rock has become so soft and sponge like, you could throw it across the room with no worry. Then, I want you to try again." He took a step back and waited.

Remembering the meditation training she had done with her father, Selene placed her wand in her lap and closed her eyes. When she felt ready she opened her eyes, raised her wand and passed it over her rock in a smooth fluid motion. She felt a slight tingle in her hand and turned a hopefully smile to her professor. He picked up her rock and squeezed it gently in his hand. It seemed to be even softer than Malfoy's had. "Well done Ms. Connelly." Professor Flitwick congratulated softly. "An excellent attempt. Still a little stiff but I'm sure with more practice you can master this spell. The key for you to remember is to focus your intent. Don't let your emotions cloud your mind." Selene thought his quiet praise was much more rewarding than if he had shouted her success to the class as he had done with Malfoy. They were allowed to keep their items to continue practice on their own time. They were told to review chapters one through three for homework. They would be tested on Thursday on their ability to properly cast the spell they had learned today.

The hallway outside of the DADA classroom was full of excited chatter. This was a class that many people seemed excited to take. She and Davis decided to share one of the large desks near the door. Old newspapers were plastered to the windows blocking out much of the natural light from outside. A large fireplace burned brightly from behind the teacher's desk, adding more heat to an already uncomfortable room. The skeletal remains of some small dragon hung from the ceiling. In one corner there was a large pile of cushions, and the one across from that held a few shelves that looked so old they might fall apart to the touch. Many different creatures could be seen in cages of glass terrariums around the room. Every now and then one would squeak of growl and Selene was sure she had seen something red swimming in a tank full of murky water. The pungent smell of braids upon braids of raw garlic was so strong that Selene's nose was burning within just a few minutes. Professor Quirrell began his introduction in a stuttering timid voice. He seemed entirely too meek to be teaching a class about self-defense and Selene found herself quickly becoming annoyed by him.

"Merlin, how can he stand this smell?" Davis asked, a hand covering her nose and mouth in a futile attempt to block the smell.

Her comment reminded Selene about the flower that had been given to her. Ignoring the stuttering lecture of the seemingly unending dangers that lied in wait, Selene searched her bag until she found the delicate paper creation. She held it out with a victorious smile to Davis.

"I don't think folding paper is going to help right now." Davis hissed. Selene shook her head, set the small flower onto the desk and leaned over it, taking a large and exaggerated sniff. The smell of the flower was a very welcome relief from the garlic. Davis copied her with a much smaller sniff, and then with a sigh of relief she propped herself in such a way that she could stay in close range to it. "Oh that is heavenly! Did you make it?" She whispered.

Selene shook her head no and would have explained but something Professor Quirrell was saying caught her attention. "H-however," he continued. "M-m-many young w-witches and w-w-wizards s-start small. One of th-th-the sma-smallest is the B-b-bowtruckle. Heh…" laughed nervously. "N-n-n-now I neeeed a volunteer t-to go get it f-from th-the tank." He twitched as if he had seen something out of the corner of his eyes and then gave that nervous chuckle again.

When no one moved, Selene took one last whiff of the paper flower and then stood up to walk over to where the professor had indicated. This particular terrarium was filled with dirt and what appeared to be a clipping from a flowering pear tree. At first she didn't see the small creature, it was grasping the small tree tightly and watching her with wary eyes. She heard Professor Quirrell as he continued to stutter his lecture about how Bowtruckles were generally gentle creatures. They spent their lives taking care of their home tree and as such they were very sensitive to the area and creatures around them. Although small, if someone or something threatened their tree they would attack. They must be approached with caution. These minuscule creatures could do a lot of damage should the need arise. While he continued his lecture Selene thought back to what her father had taught her last year when they went to harvest bark from a cypress tree on the property. The tree had been home to a small family of the creatures. Moving slowly but without fear, Selene reached her hand into the terrarium, careful not to touch the tree, and rested with her hand on the dirt. The small light green creature looked first at her hand and then up to her face. "I won't hurt you, littling." She whispered. The Bowtruckle made a few small chirping sounds and then let go of its tree and climbed onto her hands. She slowly lifted the Bowtruckle out and cupped her hands together.

When she turned back towards the room to show everyone. There was a scrapping of chairs as everyone got up to take a closer look. The noise had apparently startled Professor Quirrell so much that he nearly fell over in fright, but no one payed him any attention. The Bowtruckle had wrapped its small twig-like arms around Selene's thumb and was looking at everyone with wide eyes. "It's adorable." Sally Smith said in awe.

"How did you know how to do that?" Davis asked.

"What does it matter?" Parkinson snapped. "It's just a silly little twig." She huffed. The Bowtruckle began shaking a little and Selene pulled it closer to her chest to provide it greater protection. "It's not that interesting anyway." Parkinson said and then flounced back to her seat.

The other students gradually returned back as well now that everyone had seen the creature. Selene hummed softly as she returned it to its tree. She was about to pull her hand from the terrarium but stopped when the Bowtruckle gave another little series of chirps. It placed a small white pear blossom in her hand before jumping back onto the little tree. No one was paying her any more attention, trying to focus instead on Professor Quirrell as he continued his lecture. "Thank you, little one." Selene murmured and then carefully took the blossom back with her to the desk.

"That was so cute!" Davis squealed softly. Selene smiled in response. They spent the rest of class taking notes on the life cycles and habitats of Bowtruckles. They were assigned some reading for homework and then there was a mad scramble for the door when class was dismissed. Almost no one heard the stammered announcement of a test on Thursday.

Dinner was a blessedly calm affair. Davis and Smith kept up a lively chatter and Selene had time to write a note to her father while she waited for dessert to be served. Later when she was alone in the owlry, she looked over her letter one more time to make sure it said everything she wanted.

_Dear Father,_

_I was very glad to get your letter this morning. So far I've had every class except Astrology and Flying lessons. Herbology is a simple class. Many of the plants we will learn about this year are ones we grow at home. Even though Professor Sprout warned everyone about protective gear, one boy tried to touch a Spikey Bush without gloves and ended up having to go to the hospital wing. He is fine of course. Both Charms and Transfiguration seem like they will be very difficult. Although, I did manage to make a slight difference to a rock with the Softening Charm today! Our Defense class is absolutely horrible…well the class is fine, we studied Bowtruckles today. It let me hold it and gave me a flower from its tree after I hummed to it! But the teacher, Professor Quirrell is a terribly nervous man who seems like he would be scared of a Puffskein. To make it worse, he has more braids of garlic hung up in the room than I have ever seen in one place! The room reeks of it. History of Magic is a terrible bore. Why didn't you warn me about Professor Binns? Honestly I ended up just scribbling on my parchment, but I promise to study hard on my own and I will keep my grades up. I do think Potions class will be my favorite subject! The lab reminds me of your potions closet at are doing the Cure for Boils this week. Professor Snape seems very particular about his class. He is not as patient as you, but I think it is just because he demands such a high standard of his students. The way he talks about Potions really makes me want to do my best._

_Joining Slytherin has been different than I first hoped. Most everyone seems standoffish and they follow some of the old Traditions as part of their everyday life. It's a never ending cycle of the Game. It's not too bad though. I have even managed to make a few friends I think. There is a Ravenclaw boy names Oliver Rivers who I met on the train. Two girls from my dorm, Sally Smith and Tracey Davis seem to enjoy talking with me. Also, a Hufflepuff girl named Clare O'Hare has been very friendly. She made me a small paper flower and spelled it somehow to smell like a wonderful bouquet. It was a tremendous help during DADA._

_Much love,_

_Selene_

It was maybe not the best letter in the world, but it would do. It was only the second day. She didn't want her dad to worry about her any more than he must. She gave a long high whistle and waited. Bubo landed in front of her clicking her beak and chattering a little. She stretched out her wings and ruffled her feathers with a great shake, then stood there looking proud. Selene laughed. "Good girl." She said softly. "Such a pretty girl." She tied the letter to the owl's leg and then scratched her fingers through the feathers behind Bubo's neck. The owl gave a long low hoot and pressed into Selene's hand. "Take this to Father." She took Bubo to the large open window and gave her a little boost into the air. Sun was setting and there was very little light left. The only warning she had was the small scuff of someone's foot on the stairs. To her surprise, Draco Malfoy was standing there with a letter in hand.

"What are you doing here?" Malfoy asked.

Selene put one hand on her hip and gestured around at the various owls with her other hand. She then looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Right. I guess that was a stupid question." He muttered. An eagle owl even larger than Bubo fluttered down to land on a post. It waited while he fastened his letter and then he said. "Take this to Mother." The owl took off in a flurry of feathers and soared out the window.

Nothing else was said for a few moments. Malfoy simply seemed to be studying her. Deciding that had gone on quite long enough, Selene adjusted her bag to a more comfortable spot on her shoulder and began walking back to the castle. She hated when people stared at her. She was not some oddity in a museum to be gaped at. She was all the way down the steps and crossing the grounds when she heard Malfoy call out from behind her. She gave an annoyed huff but slowed her steps enough for him to catch up. "Defense class seems like a bit of a joke right?" he began. "I was thinking of writing my father about it. How do they expect us to learn anything when we can't even breathe properly in that room?"

Selene frowned slightly and kept walking. She really just wanted some time alone but it seemed like Malfoy was more than happy to walk with her back to the common room. He continued talking without even waiting to see if she would respond. "I just wrote Mother of course. I told her all about classes today. I'm sure she will be pleased to know I was the first in our class to make progress on the Softening Charm…" he continued talking about the other classes they had so far.

As they descended into the dungeons he changed topics to talk about Harry Potter. Apparently he was offended that Potter would refuse his offer of friendship, choosing instead to associate with the youngest Weasley boy. Selene tightened her grip on the strap of her bag in an effort to not show her anger when he used the term "Blood-traitor" to describe the Weasley family. Her father had taught her to always judge people on individual merit and not what society called someone. Malfoy's casual use of such terms and the haughty way he spoke went against how she herself was raised.

They finally made it to the common room and Selene tried to hide the relief she felt when Zabini called to Malfoy from the far side of the room. He turned to tell her goodbye and looked like he might have said something else but Selene gave a small wave and hurried off to her dorm room. Her dorm was blessedly empty. She got ready for bed and decided to read in her potions text for a while before she slept. It wasn't until Davis and Smith came in to go to bed that Selene realised how late it had gotten. Deciding she wanted to be asleep before Parkinson came in, Selene put her book on her bedside table and pulled her curtains closed. The bed was nice and warm and she soon fell into a dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

(A/N: Sorry for going so long between updates. Thank you for being patient with me. This story will continue and I have plans to write sequels as well. As always, anything recognizable is property of the wonderful Ms. Rowling.)

Chapter 5

It was a beautiful sunny day. Selene looked into the mirror and twirled to see how her new dress flowed around her. It was a beautiful blue that mimicked the sky outside. The sound of soft voices could be heard from downstairs as well as the occasional bang from a pot or pan. A happy giggle escaped when she thought about what the day would hold. It was her sixth birthday and both her mother and father had promised to spend the whole day with her instead of going to work. Just as the smell of fresh apple pancakes began wafting up the stairs, a slightly lilting voice called out. "Selene? Star-shine, are you up?"

"Coming Mother!" Selene replied and with one last glance at her reflection she dashed down the stairs. Her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen, arms open in welcome. Selene darted towards her mother and was soon enveloped in a warm hug. Selene buried her face into her mother's robes, enjoying the faint smell of lavender that still clung there.

"Tinsel is making Young Miss her favorite breakfast!" said a high, squeaky voice, causing Selene to peer past her mother. Tinsel the house-elf was gesturing towards the kitchen table with a large grin.

Her father was already sitting at the table. It was laden with an impossibly large stack of pancakes, fruit toppings and syrups of various flavors. "Happy Birthday!" He cheered and with a flourish caused streamers and confetti to burst from his wand tip. Selene laughed in delight and ran to give him a hug as well before sitting at the table to eat.

"Make sure you eat a lot. We have a big day planned for you." Her mother said warmly.

Everything seemed to fade for a moment and then suddenly Selene was standing in the barn with her mother. "Go quietly so you don't startle him." Her mother warned.

Selene walked forward to see into the stall and stumbled back with a small gasp when a large grey head poked out over the door to meet her. Her mother laughed and opened the gate to the stall so Selene could get a better look. Selene felt like she had to look up higher and higher to see everything. The creature was a large Pegasus with a smooth grey coat that darkened to black the closer you got to his hooves and wing tips. She reached as high as she could but could only run her fingers through his dark mane until he bent his head to smell her. She laughed when his warm breath puffed over her face. He lifted his head and gave a whinny, seeming to dance in place before bending his head again to nudge her shoulder.

"Now you will have to learn how to help care for him, and when you get a little bigger he will be your responsibility completely but…"

Selene spun quickly to face her mother. "You mean he's for me?" she interrupted excitedly.

Her mother nodded with a smile. "Yes, but you have to promise to not to try and ride him alone until you get bigger." She paused only long enough to hear Selene promise and then continued. "What do you want to name him?"

Selene studied the Pegasus while she thought. He was a very handsome stallion and his coat reminded her of a storm. He turned his head a little to look at her better and it was the sight of his dark eyes that made her decide. "Darcy…like the gentleman in the book Father is reading to me." She giggled.

"Darcy, hmm? Well…how about we take Mr. Darcy out of that stall and go flying?" her mother asked with a smirk. Selene's only response was a happy squeal as she ran to hug her mother.

It was after dinner when Selene was sitting between her parents in front of a nice warm fire. Her father handed her a package wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with twine. She was bouncing with so much excitement she almost dropped it out of her lap. Opening it she found a very small cauldron, a few glass flasks, one glass stirring rod, and one metal stirring rod. Also, a small book that had potion recipes for things like dying someone's hair or giving them hiccoughs. "Most of the ingredients you need for those are in the main garden. If you need one from the greenhouses just show the list to me and I will go with you to show you how to harvest it." Her dad said.

Selene heard someone calling her name but she didn't want to answer. She was warm and happy and with both of her parents. But when someone started shaking her shoulder she was forced to open her eyes.

Tracey Davis and Sally Smith were standing beside of her bed. Sally was chewing her lip nervously and Tracey looked a little pale. "We were down worried when you didn't come down for breakfast. Potion's class starts soon so we came to check on you…but…" Tracey paused and shifted her weight in an anxious manner. Selene noticed her hiding something behind her back and held out her hand with a curious expression on her face. Tracey opened her mouth to explain but only managed a small squeak.

"We don't know who did it…" Sally blurted. "There was no one else in the dorm when we came to check on you…and well…" she nudged Tracey who flinched slightly before setting a messy pile of torn papers onto Selene's bed.

It was only when Selene found the tattered and torn book cover that she truly understood what she was looking at. A quick glance at her bedside table confirmed that someone had ripped apart her copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions._ Nearly every page had been shuffled out of order, some were upside down, and some were even torn in half. It would take hours to organize the pages back into the proper order. Hours of time that she did not have if she wanted to be to class on time.

"What are you going to do?" Tracey whispered.

Selene closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath. After only the smallest of moments she flung the covers off and began rushing around in a flurry of activity. Less than five minutes later she was neatly dressed, hair and teeth brushed, and school supplies gathered. The only sign of her frustration at the situation was when she gathered the chaotic mess of pages and book cover off her bed and shoved them roughly into her bag. She gestured for the other girls to follow her and led the way out through the common room. Tracey and Sally were oddly silent behind her as they walked through the halls.

Professor McGonagall's lecture seemed to drag on and on. Selene tried her best to take notes but some of it made no sense to her and she knew she would have to spend extra time on it later. The announcement that their next class on Thursday would be their first practical was met with excited and somewhat relieved murmurings from both Slytherin and Hufflepuff. On Monday they would be expected to turn their matchsticks into needles as their first test. For the rest of the class they were to pick a second item and write a smaller essay on how said item was different from their first item. A bustle of activity occurred and soon students were shuffling around the room as they looked for their new item. Many students were using this time to chat and gossip when they thought the professor was far enough away not to hear. Selene was on her way back to her desk when Parkinson's voice caught her attention. "Did you even look in a mirror this morning? Your hair looks more like a bird's nest than anything…"

Whatever else Parkinson might have said was cut off as her target swept past her, mumbling a distracted "Uh huh." as a response. Selene smirked as Parkinson was left spluttering indignantly. It took a moment for Selene to realize it was the same Hufflepuff that had given her the perfumed flower. Hurrying to finish her assignment before class was over, Selene couldn't hide the small smile at the thought of that flower. It really did make DADA easier to tolerate. 'Seeing as I have that class next, I really should come up with a way to return that favor.'

DADA passed by in a hazy cloud of note taking and trying to pass the flower between Davis and herself so as to not choke on the strong garlic smell of the room. Add to that the fact that several of the other Slytherin's were clustered together gossiping and ignoring Professor Quirrell as he attempted to talk louder over them, and it all was beginning to give Selene a headache.

Selene took her place at the table next to Davis. She sipped slowly from her goblet of pumpkin juice, hiding her small frown as she did so. Not far from her Parkinson was still going on about "That girl" and how she didn't understand how "her kind" was allowed to attend Hogwarts. Ever since Transfiguration class that morning Parkinson had been using every excuse she had to complain about O'Hare and the statements were getting more and more ridiculous in Selene's opinion. There was a small commotion as the first year Hufflepuff students came in to join their house, not a single one was clean. Their house was laughing good naturedly as they listened to the first years explain what appeared to be a mud fight during Herbology.

"Did they even try to clean up any? Look! O'Hare even has a STICK in her hair." Parkinson crowed to her group around her.

Selene's eyes scanned the group in question and it did look as though Susan had just fished something out of the mess that was Clare's hair. Selene smiled softly as she switched her attention to her soup. 'It looks like they had fun.' Tracey was talking with Sally about the flying lesson later and for the most part no one was bothering Selene much. It would have been a nice quiet lunch if Parkinson would just stop talking.

"I mean really! They all look absolutely horrible, and That girl is the worst! How they can let such ill-bred people in is beyond me." Parkinson huffed. "At least her outside is showing her to be the true Mudblood she is." She paused and looked over at Selene before continuing in a slightly louder tone. "Of course...even some people from proper families just end up as mistakes that should never have been born." Everyone who heard her, which was the whole lower section of the table, laughed as if it was a great joke; only Malfoy was strangely quiet and seemed lost in thought. Selene felt her face flush slightly and let out a huff of breath before gathering her things and tapping Tracey's shoulder to let her know she was leaving.

"Oh! Do you want me to come with you?" Tracey asked, turning away from where she had been talking with Sally, oblivious to what Parkinson had said.

Selene shook her head no and gestured for her to continue talking with Sally. She made her way into the entrance hall and stood there a moment thinking. 'There has to be some way to knock Parkinson down a peg. The things she is saying about me and that Hufflepuff are so belittling. Granted she does look a little rough but that is still no reason to say such awful things…and I STILL owe O'Hare a favor to repay that flower.' She checked her schedule and saw she had History of Magic with Gryffindor next and slowly began to make her way up the stairs as students began to trickle out of the Great Hall. She was on the second floor getting ready to go up the next set of stairs when she heard a familiar voice approaching from behind. She paused and turned and sure enough Susan Bones was chatting happily with O'Hare as they made their way up the stairs. Selene flinched a little at the sight of the Hufflepuff. 'She looks even worse up close' An attempt had been made to freshen up, her face and arms had been washed but her clothing was still rumpled and her hair had somehow become a huge bundle on top of her head that if possible was more frizzy than a kneazle and sections of it was still matted together from the mud. Coming to a quick decision Selene darted out a hand to catch O'Hare by the arm and pulled gently back the way they had been coming. A bathroom was just at the end of the corridor on the second floor and there was still time before class.

"Why have you kidnapped me to the bathrooms?" O'Hare started. She looked around and seemed to realize her friend had not followed. "Susan!" she called loudly, her voice echoing in the long bathroom.

Selene gestured for her to wait with one hand while she ruffled around in her satchel with the other. A moment later she turned with a victorious smile on her face, a small wooden hairbrush in hand. She gestured towards herself first and then O'Hare's head, schooling her face into a questioning look to try and get her point across.

"Oh! Uh, haha no. That's not going to do anything but get stuck," she laughed nervously.

Bones walked in, beaming when she saw the two and waved casually as if seeing Selene was a common occurrence. "There you are. I wondered where you went."

"I didn't go anywhere I was kidnapped." O'Hare retorted, eyeing Selene' brush warily.

'Honestly, it's not like my brush is going to bite her' Selene reminded herself not to roll her eyes. She had a debt to repay, and if it shut Parkinson up...well Father always said to work smarter, not harder.

"Ooo goodie! A make-over!" Bones clapped excitedly before digging into her satchel. "I have some cute ribbon in here somewhere!"

Selene smiled patiently and shook her head slightly. She set the brush down and gestured for O'Hare to pull her hair down out of the bun.

O'Hare sighed heavy and attempted to wrench the hair tie out as it had now gotten semi-stuck itself. "I promise -ow- it's going to get stuck." She pulled loose the second tie and with it a few strands of her curly hair. She rubbed her head tenderly and looked at her reflection. Although now her hair was free it surprising had hardly moved from the form it was in before. The sight made Bones pick at the odd ended curls and giggle. "Let's just get this over with. We'll be late to class." She finished in a shaky voice.

Selene could not completely hide her wince as she eyed the task before her. 'Does she even own a brush?' She turned O'Hare to face the mirror and attempted to run her fingers through her hair and when her fingers snagged almost immediately she switched to just pulling the whole bunch down and grabbing her brush. She noticed O'Hare had tensed up and had her eyes scrunched shut, obviously expecting it to hurt. Selene set the brush to one section of her hair and began to work her way around her head; the spells on the brush allowing the knots to fall out gently and removing any lingering trace of the dirt or mud. As she finished the first section she released the hair to allow what was now a more gentle and smooth curl to fall over one shoulder.

"Are you gonna do it or what?" O'Hare asked, her face still scrunched up and eyes shut tight. Selene continued to brush, focused entirely on her task. Section after section gently detangled and fell into smooth and loose curls, completely free of dirt or debris and smelling faintly of flowers. "What kind of brush is that?" she asked staring dumbfounded at her reflection.

"Oooo I think green would be perfect! It matches your eyes." Bones interrupted holding out four or five ribbons of green. "Or blue? I know PINK is perfect!" O'Hare glared at her and threatened to let her pet Jasper pee on her pillow if she dared put pink in her hair."Shesssssssshh fine." Susan said but reluctantly stashed her ribbons. She pulled out a black and gold set. "Use these they match our house!"

Selene finished the final sections of hair and reached around to show her the back of the brush that read _Elegant's Elegance_ on the handle. She then nodded to Bones who stepped in to use the ribbon to braid Clare's hair into two large braids while Selene stashed her brush back into her bag. O'Hare turned her head this way and that looking at the smooth curls. "Uhm thank you… Never had a brush to actually…. Do that before." She sounded shocked.

In response, Selene simply reached out to smooth away any wrinkles in her robes. 'Now she won't get made fun of anymore and hopefully this will get Parkinson to shut up.' Selene smirked and nodded at the two other girls before leaving the room without a backwards glance.

Any hopes she had of a quiet class where she could take notes and soothe her headache were quickly dashed. Almost as soon as Professor Binns began his droaning lecture, the whispers started. It seemed everyone was most excited for their first flying lesson that afternoon. Malfoy was complaining that first years couldn't bring their own broom and never made it onto the House Quidditch teams. He launched into a ridiculous story that had him narrowly escape being caught by muggles in the air. 'Honestly, if the wards on Malfoy Manor are even half as good as the ones at home, he is either making that up or else was foolish and went way outside the boundary lines.' Selene snorted softly in amusement. Davis turned to her with a questioning look but Selene just shrugged. On the other side of the room the youngest Weasely was gesturing animatedly as he told a story to Potter about almost hitting a hang-glider...whatever that was. In fact the only one who even seemed to be attempting to take notes was the bushy-haired Granger girl. Selene gave up and just sat back in her seat to meditate, hoping that would stop the throbbing in her head. Some time later Davis had to shake her awake so they could move on to Herbology.

Walking into Greenhouse One, Oliver Rivers caught her attention with a wave. *How are you?* He signed, a huge grin on his face.

Selene smiled in response. *I'm fine. You?* she signed slowly so he could follow easily.

*Me? Good!* was the reply. Oliver bounced slightly on his feet and the words practically poured from his mouth once Selene was close enough. "I'm glad we get this one class together at least. Did you know, I had my first flying lesson yesterday. I was a bit rubbish at first but towards the end I think I was getting it. I think I much prefer to have my feet on the ground though." He looked around and since students were still trickling in he continued. "You have your lesson later today right? Ever flown before?" He stuck his hand in his pocket and Selene heard a soft crinkle of candy wrappers. "It seems like most people from wizarding families have, puts people like me at a bit of a disadvantage."

While he talked Selene pulled her small notebook from out of her pocket. _Yes, I've flown. But never on a broom. We have a Pegasus at home. I've flown on him._

Oliver's eyes widened. "A pegasus? Really? I bet that would be so interesting to draw. Is it true that…" Anything else he might have said was cut off as Professor Sprout called out to start the lesson. Today they were to form groups of four or so and after a lecture they were to pick a new plant to diagram and then write about its care instructions. During the hour that passed, the professor would randomly select a plant and ask for its name. Anyone who answered it correctly would earn extra points for their house. A small war of sorts started between the Ravenclaws who were anxious to prove how much they knew, and the Slytherins whose pride refused to let them get behind in points. Although both houses tied for points given at the end of class, Selene's group with Oliver, Davis, and another Ravenclaw girl named Sue Li brought in the most points as a group. Having been able to avoid Parkinson for the entire class had put Selene into a much better mood...at least until she realised she hadn't had time to fix her potions text yet.

Selene was the last to arrive in the Potions Lab and were just sitting down when Professor Snape walked into the room, the heavy door slamming shut in his wake. Any murmuring or whispering that had been going on, stopped as he stalked to the front of the room. "Clear your desks of everything except parchment, ink, and a quill." He began once he was seated behind his desk. Everyone hurried to do as they were told but after only a few seconds he called out over the din. "I do believe a teacher's instructions apply to ALL Mr. Potter. Your books should not be stacked at the corner of your desk. Two points from Gryffindor for failure to comply with direction."

A few of the Gryffindor students made sounds of upset but they were quickly hushed by their housemates. Selene refrained from shaking her head and focused instead on making sure her own desk was spotless and her quill was ready. Only a minute more passed before Professor Snape spoke again. "You will have twenty-five minutes to complete the test on chapters one and two of your books. Do try to keep your short essay answers under three inches. They are called short answer for a reason." He waved his wand over the black board and a list of twenty questions appeared. He pulled a stack of scrolls across the desk and began marking them. "Begin!" he barked out and soon the only sound was the hurried scratching of quills and the occasional sigh of frustration.

Overall, Selene thought the test was ridiculously easy if you had done the required reading and payed attention to the lecture from Monday. It mostly covered the standard safety measures for brewing and the differences between various equipment. Of course, if you hadn't done the reading you wouldn't know that certain ingredients reacted negatively if stirred with glass or metal rods and therefore must be stirred with wooden rods. You might also be confused about whether a fever potion containing yarrow root should be brewed in a pewter cauldron or a copper cauldron and why the difference might be dangerous. As it was, Selene was very grateful she had read the chapters again before bed last night. She winced slightly at the thought of trying to organize all the pages in her tattered book. That was a headache she really wasn't looking forward to.

She was just going over her answers one last time when her parchment, and indeed everyone's in the whole class was pulled from her desk and flew across the room to stack neatly in front of the professor. "Time's up." Professor Snape stated simply. Several students made sounds of distress and the Weasley boy muttered something under his breath that lost the Gryffindors even more points. He turned red and looked like he was going to protest even more but he shut his mouth sharply when Potter elbowed him. At least, Selene thought, Potter seemed to have some sense.

Professor Snape took a moment to look around the room. His face was unreadable but his eyes seemed able to burn sharp holes into every student as his gaze fell on them. The entire class was silent, not wanting to aggravate him any further. "Friday…" he said in a low voice. "…will be your first brewing lesson. You will be attempting to brew the Cure for Boils potion…it is one so simple that even you dunderheads should be able to accomplish without too much strain. Get out your books and begin looking over the potion's recipe on page forty-two." He jabbed his wand sharply at the blackboard and the test questions were replaced with a bulleted list of ingredients and instructions. "Copy my instructions from the board and cross reference the alternate readings that can be found at the end of the chapter." He paused again here as students hurried to pull out their books and take notes. "You have another thirty minutes until the end of this class. I would suggest you use your time wisely." He began marking the stack of tests he had just collected from them and seemed to be ignoring them completely.

Selene focused first on copying the notes from the board before she pulled the ragged mess that was her text from her bag. A few rows in front of her Pansy Parkinson was laughing softly behind one hand as she whispered to Daphne Greengrass. Theodore Nott had leaned forward to listen in on what was being said when he suddenly sat back and looked at Selene with a sneer. His gaze lingered pointedly on the ruined text before flicking up to meet her eyes. Shocked by the amount of obvious dislike in his eyes, Selene ducked her head to avoid his gaze. She turned her attention instead to sorting out the damage done to her book. She wouldn't be able to complete her assignments until the pages were back in order. She was so focused on the task at hand, that she did not notice when Professor Snape got up and began walking the room. She did not hear the scathing remarks he made about her classmates' inabilities to complete simple reading homework, or how Longbottom must have the brain of a flobberworm if he thought dried ingredients reacted no differently than fresh ingredients. As such, she flinched rather violently when a pale potion-stained hand slapped her freshly-graded test on top of the pile of papers she was working on.

"Ms. Connelly." Professor Snape's voice was low, annoyance evident in every word. "It has not yet been a full week since the start of term…the state in which you keep your book is indefensible." The majority of her fellow housemates burst into laughter that they quickly choked off at a glare from their professor. Selene could not stop the flush that flooded across her face. Sally and Tracey were the only ones that looked sympathetic. Although Selene did notice that Malfoy kept his face decidedly blank. Professor Snape studied her for a moment before continuing. "You will speak with me after class. As for the rest of you…" he raised his voice "…Your homework is to read chapter three of your texts and I want no less than twelve inches detailing ways you could brew the Cure for Boils wrong and the consequences thereof." He paused again but when no one moved he waved his wand sharply causing the heavy door to the class to open with a bang. "Are you all deaf? You have your assignment! Class is dismissed."

Selene slowly packed her things while everyone else practically ran towards the door. She was reaching for her bag when Nott kicked it out of reach as he walked past.

"Watch where you put your stuff Connelly." Nott scowled.

Anger flooded her. Her throat felt tight and she wanted to yell. What had she done to be treated this way? Why were so many of them against her? Her eyes snapped up to glare first at Nott and then at Parkinson who was looking back from the door with a satisfied smirk on her face. She forced her face to a neutral expression and clenched her teeth tight against the feeling inside her. She couldn't cause trouble. It would only take one well-placed complaint in the right social circle against the Connelly name and the family business could take a big hit. So instead she simply nodded that she had heard and gathered the things that had spilled from her bag. She did her best to ignore the laughter as they left. Professor Snape's voice from behind startled her and she immediately turned to face him properly.

"On first impression, I thought you were surprisingly competent for a first year student…" he began. "However, I'm wondering now if that was not an erroneous assumption. It seems as if you are so uncoordinated that neither books, nor juice, nor anything you own is safe from…" his eyes were studying her in a calculated manner. "…your gracelessness." He bent to pick up one of her Never-Out quills that she had missed and handed it to her. "Tell me…are your parents aware of your unrefined manner or is this some new affliction since coming to Hogwarts?"

Selene studied him just as he was doing to her. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. She had thought the potion's master to be a hard and uncaring man…but unless she was mistaken he had just asked her about how the other students had been treating her.

Apparently she took too long to respond because his face pulled down into a small scowl. "Are you going to answer me you idiot child or will I have to give detention for your lack of respect?" he snapped.

Selene hastened to pull her small notebook from her pocket. She thought quickly before writing. _As far as I know, Sir, my father is quite proud of my behavior. He might be concerned with my…affliction…if he knew of it._

He read the note then looked at her hard for a moment. She was a little unnerved by how cold and distant his eyes seemed but she tried not to show it. He looked at the mess of papers that now represented her potions text. His voice was just as cold as his eyes when he spoke again. "Are your other books as ill-managed as this one Miss Connelly?"

When Selene shook her head no he reached down and grabbed the small stack of papers she had already reorganized and added them back to the others. He opened the cover so that it was lying flat and then pulled out his wand. Selene tried hard not to be dismayed when he scattered the papers, erasing the hard work she had done.

"This is every page that should be in the book?" the professor asked. Selene nodded her confirmation and then watched as he waved his wand over the chaotic mess with a muttered "Reparo." In a matter of seconds her textbook was sitting on top of her desk looking as new as the day she bought it. Professor Snape handed it to her. "I do believe you would find it useful to learn the Mending Charm as quickly as possible. Lack of care for your items will not excuse you from completing the assigned work." A small group of fifth year Hufflepuffs stumbled to a stop at the door when they saw Professor Snape talking to a student. The Potions Master turned and walked back to his desk, his entire attitude expressing anger. "Don't stand gawking in the doorway Mr. Truman." At the front of his desk he whirled around to look back at Selene, his robes billowing around him in a way that Selene definitely envied. "You are dismissed Miss Connelly." He said in a voice that seemed slightly less biting than before.

Out in the hall Selene took a moment to breath and push the thoughts of the day from her mind. The sound of voices fading as they moved out of the dungeons reminded her that she was late and she rushed after her class, excitement filling her. It was time for their first flying lesson! She had only ever flown on Darcy at home but she loved being up in the air. It was so relaxing. A broomstick couldn't be much different right?

Slytherin and Gryffindor students were already forming lines under the clear sky when she rushed up. Davis gestured for her to stand beside her as their instructor started her lecture. Madam Hooch was a striking woman who's alert gaze and swift mannerisms reminded Selene of a hawk. Selene looked down at the broom she would be using and noticed it looked as if it had been in a few crashes over the years. The wood held various dings and scrapes, rough looking spots where the polish had been worn off and it seemed like some of the bristles of the tail had fallen out in chunks. Overall the broom did not look nearly as trustworthy as her dear Darcy.

They all hastened to follow Madam Hooch's quick instructions on how to call their brooms to their hands before mounting. Selene took a deep breath, stuck her hand out over her broom, and tried to apply the same nonverbal principles to the broom. She simply had to WILL it up, right? Her broom stayed perfectly still, no sign whatsoever that it was even capable of responding. Over the frustrated din of students trying to control their brooms, Selene's attention was drawn as Weasley shouted at Potter to stop laughing at him. Glancing around she noticed several students waiting patiently with brooms in hand while some others seemed to be arguing with brooms that either didn't move or simply rolled over lazily on the ground. Malfoy, and half of the other Slytherin's already had brooms in hand. Davis gave her broom a small kick and shouted at it before it leapt to respond. After several minutes only a few people were left without a broom in hand.

Madame Hooch was walking up and down the line correcting as she went. "What's this Connelly? Are you not even going to try?" Selene made a frustrated motion at the broom before crossing her arms and lifting one brow. Madame Hooch made a displeased clucking sound and then continued briskly "Brooms will respond to the slightest bit of your magic...however these old school brooms can be a bit temperamental, almost like an animal. Can you think of no way to let it know what you want?" She challenged before walking on to help a slightly dumpy looking Gryffindor boy. Selene frowned. 'Temperamental like an animal huh? Maybe it needs coaxing like Darcy does when he is in a bad mood'. She bent and ran a hand across the length before standing back straight. She clapped her hands twice and then quickly reached out to snatch the broom from the air as it rose. It struggled for a moment but then steadied and seemed to be waiting patiently.

"Now everyone mount your brooms, try to stay in the middle. We don't want anyone sliding off the end. Now grip tightly...Not like that Mr. Malfoy. Try holding on like that in the middle of a storm and you will be blown right off." After another moment of demonstrating proper hand placement she made her way back to the front of the group. "Now, on my whistle, you will kick off from the ground and hover for a moment before leaning forward slightly to touch back down. Ready? Three, two…"

She never made it to one. The dumpy looking boy from before gave a little squeak of fright and kicked off really hard. His broom shot up like a bottle rocket and didn't seem like it would stop any time soon. "Mr. Longbottom! Come back down." Madam Hooch shouted. The boy was screaming in fright as his broom seemed to drift higher without his control. Soon he was more than twenty feet in the air and was sliding off of one side of the broom. "Mr. Longbottom!" Madam Hooch yelled again in warning, but it was too late. The boy fell quickly to the ground and landed with a soft crunch. Madam Hooch rushed over to where he had fallen and began to check him over. She mumbled something about a broken wrist as she helped him to his feet. She warned them not to even attempt to fly until she got back from taking the boy to the hospital wing and then she rushed off looking very much like a mother hen guarding one of her chicks.

As soon as they were out of earshot Malfoy burst into laughter and began poking fun of the whole situation. Most of the other Slytherins joined in but Selene simply rolled her eyes and moved to stand off to one side. The Gryffindors immediately jumped to defend one of their own and soon Parkinson was jumping in to add insults of her own. Selene pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt her headache starting to return. 'Do they always have to fight?'

She heard Malfoy taunting Potter and noticed he had something glittering in his hand. "How about I leave this…" he paused and looked around for a moment before turning back with a smirk. "...up that tree over there?" In a fluid motion he mounted his broom and rose quickly to the highest boughs of a nearby oak tree. "Well Potter?" He called down. "What do you think?" He tossed the glittering ball into the air before catching it with a lazy ease.

Potter grabbed up his broom, ignored the warning from Granger, and was soon up in the air close to a stunned looking Malfoy. Selene allowed a small smile 'He didn't expect Potter to call him on it. Now what stunt are you going to pull to save face?' The wind was a bit too strong to hear their conversation clearly but Potter shot forward to snatch the object from Malfoy's hand. Malfoy was able to maneuver away at the last second and turned to face the castle. He called one last taunt and then threw the glittering ball high into the air before pelting back towards the ground. Focused entirely on the ball, Potter launched forward in pursuit. Malfoy landed and turned to watch as various students gasped out loud. Potter caught the ball and managed to stop mere inches from the castle walls. He took a second to adjust his grip to fly one handed and then descended gradually, one hand raised victoriously. His housemates rushed forward, cheering his victory.

Malfoy dropped his broom to the ground in obvious disgust. Parkinson tried placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him but he shrugged her off and took a step forward, his expression changing to one of glee. "Potter is sure to be expelled now! Look! He got caught!"

Selene scowled. 'He talks like getting expelled is the same as losing a game…' She noticed Zabini was studying her with a calculating look in his eyes and she forced her face back into a neutral expression. 'Of course, Father always warned how most purebloods use the Game just as a way to pass time.'

Professor McGonagall was in the process of escorting Potter back into the school and at about the same time Madame Hooch was returning. "All right, we've wasted enough time with all of this. I expect you all to listen to instruction from now on."

"Madam Hooch..." Granger interjected. "While you were gone…"

"Now I won't tolerate anymore interruptions. You are already behind the other first years lessons. It won't do for you to stay behind. Everyone form your lines and mount your brooms." Madam Hooch explained.

"But Professor, Malfoy…" Weasley whined

"That's quite enough!" Snapped Madam Hooch. She continued her instruction and after a few more quick exercises to teach them the basic commands of their brooms, they were allowed time to fly freely. "No one above ten feet. We don't want another accident like Mr. Longbottom, and watch where you are going Zabini! This is not the time to be performing stunts!" She shouted for the last time. Sure enough, Zabini was caught in the middle of what appeared to be an attempt to stand on his broom and strike a pose. Selene found herself content to do lazy circles around the clearing. Once she had figured out how to get her broom to respond, she found it was very much like riding Darcy, only perhaps it was a smoother and gentler ride. The cushioning charm seemed to be wearing out on her broom however and she found herself missing the comforting leather of her favorite saddle.

Davis and Smith both walked up to her after the lesson looking completely windswept. "That was wonderful! Don't you think?" Davis asked in an excited rush. "I can't wait until we are allowed to try out for the reserve team next year!" The three girls made their way to freshen up before dinner.

Between Davis and Smith, the conversation never faltered and Selene was swept along with them as they began discussing their favorite quidditch teams. Zabini, surprisingly, joined in as well when topics switched to favorite singers. They all really enjoyed Celestina Warbeck but couldn't agree on what her best song was.

Parkinson was suspiciously quiet, she was picking at her food and scowling down into her plate. When she made a disgusted noise and shot a venomous look towards the Hufflepuff table, Selene followed her gaze. O'Hare was once again in a group of mixed students from both her own house and Gryffindor, and she looked perfectly presentable. 'Parkinson lost one of her targets to tease? People must find her boring when she isn't gossiping.' Selene thought. No one was really paying Parkinson much attention at the moment and she looked entirely put out by that fact. Selene couldn't help but feel a little smug about contributing to that.

Overall, dinner was a pleasant affair and it was with a much happier heart that Selene walked out to her favorite spot near the lake. She had originally planned to come here to meditate for a while before going back in to complete her homework, but Heckle found her and landed on her outstretched arm. He clicked his beak at her and began picking through her hair as if checking to make sure she was alright. Selene smiled and gave his head a little pat. He gave a small whistle in response and began bobbing up and down in an exaggerated manner. Selene laughed, relaxing from a tension she hadn't realized she had been feeling. She braced and flung her arm high into the air, launching Heckle who gave a surprised screech before circling and then landing on her arm again. He tilted his head one way and then the other before bobbing up and down again. Selene spent the next several minutes making a game out of throwing him up in the air again and again. Later, when she settled down to sleep...she felt hope that maybe she could find her place at Hogwarts after all.


End file.
